iPad 2 has arrived : Refresh or Revolution?

Close all the rumor factories, Apple has officially unveiled the iPad 2. Is it just an iPad with makeup (original) or a true cutting edge product? Let's find out....



The iPad 2 launch ceremony took place in an Apple special event at San Francisco and here is what they showed. There are major improvements over the original with a dual core processor. slimmer, lighter in weight, a brand new connectivity option, 2 cameras including a front facing camera for facetime, iOS with multi-core processor support,

What's New in the iPad 2?
These are a welcome introductions
Imaging: There are two cameras in the new iPad 2

• Back camera: Video recording, HD (720p) up to 30 frames per second with audio; still camera with 5x digital zoom
• Front camera: Video recording, VGA up to 30 frames per second with audio; VGA-quality still camera
• Tap to control exposure for video or stills

Connectivity:  Now the iPad 2 comes in different flavors of CDMA and EVDO as well, in addition to the usual Wifi and 3G
Gyro Sensor: There’s a 3-axis gyro sensor on board,
Airplay: your music, photos, and video — can now stream wirelessly to your HDTV and speakers via AirPlay-enabled speakers or Apple TV on a Wi-Fi network
Airprint: Print your email, photos, web pages, and documents right from your iPad over Wi-Fi

What has  improved from the Original iPad?

	Apple iPad	Apple iPad 2
Processor	Single core, Apple A4 SoC @1Ghz	Dual core, Apple A5 SoC
Video	720p @ 30fps	1080p video output with apple digital A/V component
iOS at launch	iOS 3.2	Version 4.3
Dimensions	242.8mm x 189.7mm x 13.4mm	241.2mm x 181.7mm x 8.8mm
Weight	1.5 pounds	1.33 pounds

   
What has remained the same?
 

• The Display size is still 9.7”, same display resolution 1024x768 at 132 ppi, No retina display !!
• The battery life is 10 hours of continuous use.
• No thunderbolt port….. Biggest let down
• Same internal storage memory i.e. 16/32/64 GB
• No expandable memory with  microSD support
• Same Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• The battery is still NOT user replaceable
• No Plug n Play USB mass storage functionality
• There’s a single button just below the screen. ( Portrait hold)
• No flash support. ( as expected)
• No standard USB port
• No NFC ??? At least not highlighted by Apple
• Price: original iPad was launched at a price of 499$ , same for iPad 2… Not bad at all

So, Apple has finally lifted off the curtains from their latest offering.

In 2010, Apple revived the tablet market with the original  iPad,  now they have raised the bar for the "benchmark tablet".

The Apple special even in San Francisco was very special indeed, surprisingly the keynote address was given by none other than the CEO, Steve jobs. Steve was supposed to be on medical leave but somehow managed to muster up his energy for the special event. We at Techtabloid wish him the best of health.

The Apple iPad 2 will launch on 11th March in the US, Australia, Canada, UK, France, Germany and Japan.  Two weeks after US release it will be shipped in volume to 26 countries including Austrlia, UK, France, Germany, Canada, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, Norway, Sweeden.
( Release dates updated Thanks to anonymous Reader )