APPLE HAS unveiled the latest version of its popular iPad tablet device at an event in San Francisco.
After weeks of speculation about the “iPad 3”, Apple revealed details of the third generation of its device, which comes with an improved display and is compatible with next generation wireless connectivity.
However, instead of the iPad 3, attendees were shown what chief executive Tim Cook referred to simply as “the new iPad”, a device he said was the “ultimate poster child of post-PC world”.
“Apple has its feet firmly planted in the post-PC future,” Mr Cook said. “The momentum behind the iPad has been incredible, it surprised virtually everyone.”
Apple executives claimed the new device will redefine a category the company created two years ago with the launch of the iPad.
The Retina display included in the iPad has 3.1 million pixels. That’s four times more than the previous version of the iPad and about one million pixels more than the average high-definition television.
Apple has also bumped up the graphics power, replacing the dual core A5 chip with a new A5x chip that has quad core graphics.
The device’s rear-facing camera has been improved to a five-megapixel iSight camera, and added 1080p high-definition video capture, compared with 720p on the iPad 2.
The new iPad will also support 4G long-term evolution (LTE) mobile connectivity, which provides faster data speeds than current 3G networks.
A new software update will allow users to turn the device into a personal hotspot to share its internet connection – a feature that is already included on the iPhone.
However, operators in Ireland currently do not offer long-term evolution networks.
The device is also 3G “world ready”, allowing it to be used on different network bands around the world.
The new iPad will also feature voice dictation for messages, notes, web searches and third-party apps, in English, French, German and Japanese.
Due to launch next week in the United States, the iPad will come to Ireland on March 23rd.
However, Apple is not ditching the iPad 2 just yet; it is dropping the price of its second generation iPad. It will retail for $100 less than current prices in the US.
Apple also showed off updates for its iWork suite of productivity software and a new version of iPhoto designed for iOS that includes multi-touch editing and the ability to share photos between devices.
According to Mr Cook, the “post PC” category of devices accounted for 76 per cent of Apple’s revenue last year, with the company selling 172 million of the devices.
The company has sold 315 million iOS devices up until the end of last year, with 62 million sold in the last quarter alone.
The App Store, meanwhile, has reached 585,000 apps, with more than 25 billion downloaded from the store.
BATTERY
The battery life is the same at 10 hours, but considering how much the improved bits will drain power, getting 10 hours of battery life out of it is certainly an improvement of sorts.
WIRELESS CONNECTIONS
4G LTE connectivity may not be much use to Irish users but Apple gave an insight into what we can expect from it when it finally arrives here. In the meantime, new iPad owners in the US and other countries will have faster download speeds for everything from internet browsing to video streaming.
PROCESSING
It may not be quite what had been rumoured but it bumps up the specs a little and gives it a bit more oomph on the graphics department. This will come out in improved games graphics which certainly won’t hurt the iPads reputation as a mobile gaming device.
DISPLAY
The Retina display is noticeably crisper. Add to that the improved colour saturation and you have a high quality, vibrant display that photos look great on.
CAMERA
The rear camera has been bumped up to an iSight camera, and it uses advanced optics Apple developed for the iPhone 4S. Video is higher definition and it also has image stabilisers that make it noticeably less “bumpy”.
