Photos: New Apple iPad is unveiled

Hands on with Apple's latest tablet

It isn't called the iPad 3, or even the iPad HD, like we thought. Apple's third-generation tablet is just officially known as the "new" iPad.

silicon.com's sister site CNET News.com got their hands on the new device at Apple's launch event in San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Here's their take.

The new iPad is all about the screen, with a Retina Display that features 2,048x1,536 pixels. Starting March 16, it'll cost $499 for a 16GB Wi-Fi model, with 4G LTE versions for Verizon and AT&T starting at $629. Preorders are open today.

Physically, the new iPad is relatively unchanged. Its glass and aluminum build remains 9.5 inches tall and 7.31 inches wide, though it now measures 0.37-inch thick and weighs 1.5 pounds.

Heavier than the original, the new iPad is a solid piece of personal technology.

The 5-megapixel camera features a backside illumination sensor, auto-exposure, and auto-focus. There's also auto-face detection. It includes 1080p HD video recording, just like on the iPhone 4S.

There's that familiar Apple logo.