Best Apple iPad yet: Everything you need to know

 

Apple has unveiled the next generation of iPad. It’s more powerful, has a better screen and an improved camera. But is it the upgrade Apple fans were dreaming of? Read on and we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the new iPad.

It really is called the new iPad

During Apple’s presentation we were waiting on tenterhooks to hear the name of the new iPad. As it turns out that is exactly what it’s called. Not the iPad HD, or iPad 3. Say hello to the new iPad.

High resolution Retina Display

The new iPad boasts a 9.7-inch 2048×1536 pixel Retina Display that Apple claims makes text look sharper than it does on a newspaper. Gaming should look a treat on it.

A powerful new chip and processor

To cope with the demands you’re going to push on your new iPad, Apple has developed a new AX5 dual-core CPU. With the Retina Display graphics power is key and to keep things nice and smooth an on-board quad-core GPU has been fitted. Overall, you’ll find a 4x speed boost over that of the iPad 2.

A better camera

The new iPad has a 5-megapixel camera featuring auto exposure, auto-focus and auto-face detection. The new iPad now also records video in full HD (1080p), and uses video stabilisation and noise reduction tech to deliver top-notch high quality video.

Battery life

Battery life will remain as impressive as ever. Apple promises a 10-hour battery life and nine hours while powering away over 3G.

4G LTE

The new iPad will be 4G LTE compatible in the US, and 3G ready world-wide. We don’t have 4G in the UK just yet, but trials are already taking place that could see 4G connectivity trickle throughout the UK later this year.

New iPad UK release date

It will go on sale in the UK from 16 March 2012, so there’s not long to wait. Those wanting a piece of the action can pre-order one from the Apple Store website right now. Prices start from £399.

What do you think? Are you impressed by the new iPad? Are there enough changes to warrant an upgrade? Let us know on the comments

Apple iPad 3 is coming: Here's what you might be getting

Apple’s iPad 2 was revealed on March 2 2011, so if the company follows suit with the follow-up we should be seeing the iPad 3 very soon indeed. With that in mind, what are we hoping to see from the next slab of Apple loveliness?

The iPad 2 has sold like the proverbial hotcakes over the past year, even though (as seems to have been forgotten) it was seen by many as a bit of a modest overhaul of the original device. We’ve been told that the iPad 3 could be the one to watch. Here’s what we might be getting…

HD screen
The main reason some people were a bit miffed with the iPad 2 (though we love ours to bits) isn’t because of a misplaced sense of entitlement or the curious need to diss Apple at every turn. Oh no. It was because the screen was absolutely identical to the original iPad’s.

That won’t cut the mustard for a third year running, which is why we’re expecting Apple to provide a major screen overhaul. We’re talking an HD display with double the resolution of the previous models, which should provide a picture that’s almost as sharp as the iPhone 4S.

Quad-core processor
Dual-core mobile processors are so 2011, darling. This year will see the emergence of quad-core smartphones and tablets, and the iPad 3 will almost definitely be at the forefront of that progression.
All reports are suggesting that the next Apple tablet will feature a new A6 chip with double the processor cores of the iPad 2. Considering how powerful last year’s model is, that’s quite a prospect – we’re approaching laptop speeds here.

Slightly bulkier body
For all its internal changes and that shiny new screen, we’re not actually expecting the iPad 3 to change all the much on the outside. Indeed, there have been rumours that a real working iPad 3 was out on the floor of CES last month, but that no one noticed because it was so similar to the iPad 2.
Regardless of the truth of that tantalising claim, it has been suggested that the only difference in the iPad 3’s design will be a slightly thicker body. Well, with a high def screen and a souped up camera to squeeze in, what did you expect?

iPhone 4S-standard camera
The iPad 2 introduced a camera to the Apple tablet range, but in truth it was only really any good at shooting videos – and even then it wasn’t the sort of thing that could replace your camcorder. The iPad 3 should change all that.

We’re expecting the iPad 3 camera to be very similar to the iPhone 4S’s – which means it’ll be one of the best 8-megapixel smart device cameras around. We could also get an HD front-facing camera in a bid to sharpen up FaceTime performance.

Siri
Apple’s voice-operated assistant, Siri, was the star of the iPhone 4S show. For the first time, voice recognition actually seems to have a practical use on a mobile device, such is Siri’s knack for understanding what you want and offering a shortcut to it.

Not only would it be logical for Apple to include its smart new tool with the iPad 3, there have also been mentions of Siri on iPad spotted in a beta version of the next iOS, 5.1.