Apple has really made some good changes to the iPad 2, the second generation of its successful iPad brand. iPad 2 is thinner, lighter and faster, fulfilling much of the craves that iPad users wanted. It runs on Apple A5 1GHz dual-core processor which is said to be twice faster than the first version of iPad with much better (9x) graphics performance. The pricing in US is retained, starting at $499 (the price for iPad is expected to be slashed!) However, iPad 2 still doesn’t include USB ports (perhaps you don’t need one).
iPad 2: What’s Tasty?
Now that iPad 2 is 33% thinner than the original iPad plus with the improved CPU, Apple has also included some other “tasty” features in the new iPad. Here are some of them.
- Smart cover options. You can now purchase a smart cover for your iPad which comes in different colours. It’s available in plastics and leather.
- Available in two colours – White and Black
- It runs on iOS 4.3 which has improved the performance of most apps including Safari
- FaceTime and PhotoBooth apps are included.
- iMovie and GarageBand for iPad are available for purchase (US$4.99 each).
- 720p video recording at 30fps from the rear camera.
Full specs available at Apple iPad Page.
iPad vs iPad 2 – The Specs Comparison
Availability
In US, iPad will be available on March 11th. It will be available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK on 25 March; and in other countries around the world in the coming months.
Malaysia? Expect the same wait that we all experience for the original iPad. Sources have said that it will be launched in Malaysia in 29th or 30th April 2011, according to the same recommended retail price of iPad when it first launched (starting from RM1,599 for the WiFi 16GB model).
Hands-on on iPad 2 can be obtained from Engadget.
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