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Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices

By | March 2, 2011, 10:23am PST

Summary: After months of waiting and speculation, Apple has officially unveiled the iPad 2 at a special press event in San Francisco today.

After months of waiting and speculation, Apple has officially unveiled the iPad 2 at a special press event in San Francisco today.

[Image Gallery: Apple's iPad 2 Event]

This story will be developing, but here’s what has been announced about the much-awaited tablet so far:

  • iOS 4.3
  • All new A5 chip with dual-core processors
  • 2x faster CPU
  • 9x faster graphics
  • Same power consumption rate as A4 chip
  • Dual cameras: Shoots 720p at up to 30fps on the rear and VGA stills on front-facing camera
  • 33% thinner body at 8.8mm
  • Weighs 1.3 pounds
  • Built-in gyroscope
  • Same 10-hour battery life
  • New apps optimized for iPad: iMovie, GarageBand, FaceTime, Photo Booth

And unlike the iPhone 4, CEO Steve Jobs promises that this device will ship in both black and white from day one, with both AT&T and Verizon as 3G carrier options.

While all of these are definite improvements, I’m sure many consumers (myself included) were hoping for a cost drop. However, most of the price tags will remain the same:

  • 16GB Wi-Fi: $499
  • 32GB Wi-Fi: $599
  • 64GB Wi-Fi: $699
  • 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G: $629
  • 32GB Wi-Fi + 3G: $729
  • 64GB Wi-Fi + 3G: $829

Best of all, the iPad 2 is set to launch on March 11, with 26 countries receiving the tablet by March 25. Maybe 2011 really will turn out to be the “year of the iPad 2.” We’re only two days in, but this is definitely going to be the “month of the iPad 2″ at the very least.

Jobs also debuted a few nifty accessories, including an HDMI 1080p output dongle for $39 and a bizarre-looking screen cover that can convert to prop up the iPad. That will be available in a rainbow assortment of colors in polyurethane and leather for $39 and $69 respectively.

This is all very exciting, so check back in a bit to see an evaluation and whether or not I will be buying one myself.

Related coverage on ZDNet:

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Topics

Apple iPad, Apple Inc., Chip, Semiconductors, Network Technology, Hardware, Networking, Rachel King

Rachel King is a staff writer for ZDNet based in San Francisco.

Disclosure

Rachel King

Rachel King has no business relationships, affiliations, investments, or other potential conflicts of interest relating to the content posted in this blog.

Biography

Rachel King

Rachel King is a staff writer for CBS Interactive in San Francisco. Before serving as a contributing editor at ZDNet in New York City for two years, she previously worked for The Business Insider, FastCompany.com, CNN's San Francisco bureau and the U.S. Department of State. Rachel has also written for MainStreet.com, Irish America Magazine and the New York Daily News, among others. Rachel has a B.A. in Mass Communications and History from the University of California, Berkeley and a M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University, where she served as art director for the student magazine, Plated.

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Denial...
eastmont 5th Mar 2011
OMG... you anti-Apple folks have been hit by like the 4th Mac truck in a row (pun intended... iOS is a new Mac OS)... you're lying there (dual use intended) in the street smashed, bleeding and twitching and you're telling everyone you're better than fine... don't bother to call 911! Your pent-up (and mostly baseless) anger has blinded you to the real truth of the situation. Android is OK, and probably great for the DIY crowd, but the *whole point* of the tablet computer is so *anyone* can use it *without* difficult things to learn and *without* doing it yourself... WDIY. You keep yammering about closed this and proprietary that while the tens of millions of grandmas, kids, salesmen, etc., don't know or care what you are talking about. Your arguments are meaningless in the face of what just works and that which has utterly nuked the landscape while you were sitting there whining that your machine gun is easier to strip down and rebuild. Open your eyes!

This irrational anger is *really* all about the endless feud between Microsoft and Apple users... MS users have always hated the smugness of the Apple users (I admit it and am proud of my smugness... as Kryten says "ahhh... smug mode": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD9d0ZrBnLE), and now that the tides of the long war have finally turned, it's interesting that MS isn't even being mentioned as they are essentially out of the game.

I've been using and programming microcomputers since before MS and Apple... and even a veteran like me doesn't want to spend hours setting up my gizmo just to do something with it! My time is more valuable than that. Apparently yours is worthless to you as you waste it railing against the wind... full of sound and fury and signifying nothing. Just my 2 Billions worth...
View in thread
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RE: Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices
Badgered 2nd Mar 2011
Well, they did the right thing by keeping the pricing the same. It should put a lot of pressure on competitors.

Other than that, the upgrade seems minor (and inferior) when comparing specs to say the Xoom.
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RE: Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices
Hasam1991 2nd Mar 2011
@Badgered
Anything is better than Android, why would you want a XOOM which has that very weird honeycomb, even chromium OS looks better!! this iPad is nice! I will get one!
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RE: Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices
Rigel.628 2nd Mar 2011
@Hasam1991

Take it easy, kid.
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RE: Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices
Badgered 2nd Mar 2011
@Hasam1991 Anything is better than Android, why would you want a XOOM which has that very weird honeycomb, even chromium OS looks better!! this iPad is nice! I will get one!

Didn't say I would want a Xoom. Some people prefer the SD slot, higher res cameras, etc.. etc...

Personally, besides some basic functions, price will rule the day for me.
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You would think the iPod and iPhone runaway success
fr_gough 2nd Mar 2011
would have taught some people that it's more than feature checklists. But I guess old habits die hard.
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RE: Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices
Badgered 2nd Mar 2011
@frgough@...

Go back and read what I wrote without assuming there was a bias there...

Old habits indeed.
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What is "inferior" to Xoom?
DeRSSS 2nd Mar 2011
@Badgered: except screen resolution (which is not principal difference), iPad is the same or better than Xoom, Galaxy Tab 10.1, PlayBook, TouchPad.

Screen is IPS and all of its layers are glued together to fight parasitic refraction.

Also, competitors are thick plasticky but pricy products. And these have like 100 tablet apps agains iPad's 65000.
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RE: Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices
Badgered Updated - 2nd Mar 2011
@denisrs except screen resolution (which is not principal difference), iPad is the same or better than Xoom, Galaxy Tab 10.1, PlayBook, TouchPad.

Really? Did you see an SD slot on the iPad 2? How about a Higher res camera? no... it must just be that screen res that's the only difference.
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RE: Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices
djalan 2nd Mar 2011
@denisrs - you are funny!! Let's compare:
XOOM - 2ghz processor
iPad2 - 1.5 ghz
XOOM - 4G LTE
ipad2 - 3G (10 times slower)
XOOM - Front facing 2 megapixel camera for video or stills
ipad2 - Front facing VGA .3mp(less than 1mp) for STILLS
XOOM - Rear facing 5MP camera that does 720p
ipad2 - Rear facing 2mp camera that does 720p
XOOM - Built-in gyroscope, barometer, e-compass, accelerometer and adaptive lighting
ipad2 - Built in gyroscope, e-compass
XOOM - Mobile hotspot capability for up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices
ipad2 - What's a hotspot??
XOOM - 1280x800 display
ipad2 - 1024x768 display

As to apps, just because apple ported over virtualy ALL of it's iPhone apps doesn't make them TABLET apps... The android tablets will run almost all of the adroid apps too!

So, which one is better? Well, I don't see how the ipad2 can even compete on specs... Will it sell more? You bet!! Apple junkies are already looking to sell their 'old' ipads and buy new ones!! Apple LOVES these folks!! They know next fall they will buy ipad3 also!!

I don't have a tablet yet, but I think I would not get the ipad in any case...
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Your specifications are made-up
DeRSSS 2nd Mar 2011
@djalan:

1) iPad 2 has double core 1 GHz CPU, as well as Xoom;
2) LTE will work only on less that 1% of territory, will be pricy, spotty and everone would be just lab rat on it (and LTE would die if masses of iPad would try to go there);
3) front facing camera on iPad 2 not only does stills, but also does video (that is whole point since it supports FaceTime);
4) Sensors on iPad 2 and Xoom are the same except for barometer (which is in "why the hell it is there" category);
5) display of iPad is better since it is IPS and it's layers are glued together with no spaces;
6) also, Xoom is plasticky thick and pricy;
7) Xoom also almost has no tablet applications (100 against 65000)
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RE: Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices
DNSB Updated - 2nd Mar 2011
@Badgered
At least the iPad2 is shipping with all it's functionality in place. Hmmm... Xoom, microSD card slot not working -- wait for a firmware update, 4G -- ship it back to the factory for the upgrade when available.
BTW, even if the Xoom's microSD card slot was working, it doesn't do me much good unless I feel like replacing all my SD cards with microSD cards plus adapters.

And I should try to remember the joys of MotoBlur running on top of Android 3 -- still remember trying to set up one Motorola Droid that insisted you had to use a user name to log into the SMTP server making it a trifle difficult to send mail.
Regardless, I'm not going to be replacing my iPad with an iPad2 real soon now. By the time I look at that replacement in another 12-16 months, it'll be a very different market.
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Bring on Playbook
MobileAdmin 2nd Mar 2011
*yawn*. RIM can steal some major news by coming in with their delicious tablet that trumps all the iPad 2 specs. Great another dongle and a snap on case. Keep innovating Apple!
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RE: Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices
Hasam1991 2nd Mar 2011
@MobileAdmin
ALL RIM has so far is vaporware, we haven't seen anything and it was announced back in Nov... I've used a BB for work and I will never go back
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RE: Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices
hoaxoner 2nd Mar 2011
@Hasam1991
IT departments in many places have been playing with the Playbook for months now. It isn't exactly vaporware.
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You saw dongle and snap-on case. Real people
fr_gough 2nd Mar 2011
saw "Holy cow, I can do some wicked presentations with this. Wow, I can wake it up just by opening the cover? Cool, I can edit my home movies on it? Sweet, I can jam with my guitar on it?"

Which is why this will sell like hotcakes and people like you will continue to recite specs.
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The Competition...
CowLauncher 2nd Mar 2011
Well, to put it succinctly, are screwed.
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RE: Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices
Aerowind 2nd Mar 2011
The live chat guys all thought the new case was gimmicky, but I quite like it.
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RE: Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices
Hasam1991 2nd Mar 2011
@Aerowind
Innovative.. if it flops like the last nano it will become a collectors item
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RE: Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices
Hasam1991 2nd Mar 2011
@Hasam1991
Not Nano, shuffle without the buttons..
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RE: Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices
rhonin 2nd Mar 2011
Watched the event - came away with a very ho-hum opinion. Nothing really impressive and Steve's pokes at the competition bordered on childish.

IMO - Apple just left the door open for Android to make some serious inroads.....

Wonder about the demographic that will trade in the 1 for the 2?
0 Votes
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childish eh?
sportmac 2nd Mar 2011
@zenwalker by calling them copycats? so, what do you call copycats? innovators? microsoft? what's your preferred name for them?

you wonder about the demographic? why?
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RE: Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices
man_strosity 2nd Mar 2011
It didn't really matter. Lovers were going to love, haters were going to hate and only a significant price break could lure smart users into the Apple eco-system.

Yes, the XOOM and much more notably, The Playbook with the superior 7" form-factor, are superior devices, but it doesn't matter - most consumers aren't superior consumers.
0 Votes
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RE: Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices
Badgered 2nd Mar 2011
@man_strosity Yes, the XOOM and much more notably, The Playbook with the superior 7" form-factor, are superior devices, but it doesn't matter - most consumers aren't superior consumers.

Agreed.
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Less material, same price
Will Farrell 2nd Mar 2011
this should help Apple maintain those margins!
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Two Different Audiences
jbelkin 2nd Mar 2011
Ipad buyers (like Mac/ipod buyers) are looking for a world class Os experience along with world class hardware and software experience. Plus the cachet and branding of the 'best in the class' doesn't hurt.

The Android & PC buyers are a different group of buyers. they are either DIY rooters who buy purely on specs because they will craft their own OS experience so they place ZERO value on anything other than hardware. It's a perfectly fine avenue to go - they have a full range of android devices from $99 to $1,299 to explore and tinker with. The other group of android buyers are bargain hunters as evident by the robust sales of bargain android phones (BOGO or $29) but hardly any app market share - about 13% market share (and about 99% free apps).

plus keep in mind that unlike the IOS market where learning one OS means you know how every other IOS device works, every Android OS is different - even from the same company - but again, android is the low end of the tablet market, 100 vendors will duke it out to see who gets to $99 first ... and as evident by the slow sales of the samsung and Moto tablets, there is not android market above the price of a PC netbook.

As for the RIM, if it's announced but NOT released to the public, it is vaporware until it gets released to the public - same with HP's web OS and the WIn 7 tablet.

Bottom line - Apple will sell another 50 million tablets this year, combined the 100+ tablet makers will sell a cume of a few million and HP, MS & RIM will combine to sell a few milion more - like the ipod market, there is Apple and there are the others. Apple will make 90% of the profits - the rest are also ran but that is fine - people who shop on hardware specs alone don't believe anyone could design a better OS or ecosystem than them and that's fine. just don't confuse the professional market from the hobbyist.
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RE: Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices
kanehi 2nd Mar 2011
How come it didn't come with 4G?
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RE: Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices
DNSB 2nd Mar 2011
@kanehi

Which flavour of 4G? The current crop of 4G pretenders such as LTE, WiMax, dual cell HSPA+ and ghod alone knows what else is going to be claimed as being 4G by the next carrier who wants to jump into the game.

Currently, there are no commercial LTE Advanced or IEEE 802.16m (aka WirelessMAN-Advanced or WiMax2) implementations since the standards are not expected to be finished until 2012. By the time, they are standardized and carriers start implementing them, the current crop of "4G" devices will be finding new uses as paperweights.

As for LTE which looks as if it will be the system of choice in the USA when Verizon, AT&T and MetroPCS finish rolling out their deployments? Still a bit down the road for the majority who want 4G to mean more than a couple of letters in the specifications.
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RE: Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices
blackjack861@... 2nd Mar 2011
I wanted the first ipad. But really wanted the cameras for face-to-face chatting. ipad2 has them, and for me. The extras are icing on the cake. As for those, who purchased the first generation ipad. I would skip this one, and wait for ipad3. But its your money, and your decision. Just my 2 cents worth.
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RE: Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices
edkollin 3rd Mar 2011
I don't think any anti Apple or tablets people will buy this. Don't think to many will ditch IPAD1 for this. So IMO it will come down to is there enough "I will wait for the second version" people to make this a success.
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RE: Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices
nbkz81f 4th Mar 2011
I just got my first iPhone. I had an android. I am very pleased with my phone. Consistant in its operation. Nice clean look to the applications. My android would freeze, inconsistant battery charge. I would like an iPad. After my experience with android I will definately be looking at iPad 2. Android tablets are too much money to spend and not know whether they will have the same operating consistancy as the iPad.
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RE: Apple officially introduces iPad 2: A5 chip, 33% thinner, same prices
tripgrip 5th Mar 2011
Bottom line, Apple makes good products. My 7 year old G5 and my 3.5 year old MacBook Pro are still going strong. Oh and yes, I think that my iPad is great.
QUALITY happy
0 Votes
+ -
Denial...
eastmont 5th Mar 2011
OMG... you anti-Apple folks have been hit by like the 4th Mac truck in a row (pun intended... iOS is a new Mac OS)... you're lying there (dual use intended) in the street smashed, bleeding and twitching and you're telling everyone you're better than fine... don't bother to call 911! Your pent-up (and mostly baseless) anger has blinded you to the real truth of the situation. Android is OK, and probably great for the DIY crowd, but the *whole point* of the tablet computer is so *anyone* can use it *without* difficult things to learn and *without* doing it yourself... WDIY. You keep yammering about closed this and proprietary that while the tens of millions of grandmas, kids, salesmen, etc., don't know or care what you are talking about. Your arguments are meaningless in the face of what just works and that which has utterly nuked the landscape while you were sitting there whining that your machine gun is easier to strip down and rebuild. Open your eyes!

This irrational anger is *really* all about the endless feud between Microsoft and Apple users... MS users have always hated the smugness of the Apple users (I admit it and am proud of my smugness... as Kryten says "ahhh... smug mode": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD9d0ZrBnLE), and now that the tides of the long war have finally turned, it's interesting that MS isn't even being mentioned as they are essentially out of the game.

I've been using and programming microcomputers since before MS and Apple... and even a veteran like me doesn't want to spend hours setting up my gizmo just to do something with it! My time is more valuable than that. Apparently yours is worthless to you as you waste it railing against the wind... full of sound and fury and signifying nothing. Just my 2 Billions worth...

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