Apple has introduced its second generation of iPads, which will hit the shelves March 11. The iPad 2 features a faster, dual-core processor as well as a thinner and lighter design and front and rear cameras. It will also support 1080p HDMI output with the help of an accessory. Price-wise, the new iPads range from $499 to $830, depending on memory and wireless capabilities.
Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) unveiled the highly anticipated followup to its iPad tablet, the iPad 2, at an event in San Francisco Wednesday.
The iPad 2
The presence of a dual-core A5 processor, front and back cameras, and a thinner and lighter chassis confirmed some of the many rumors that have been surrounding the device in recent months. The iPad 2 will hit the shelves March 11.
Apple CEO Jobs took the stage for the iPad 2's introduction, receiving a standing ovation from the audience. Jobs has technically been on a leave of absence since January, citing chronic health problems.
The iPod 2's Specs
The iPad 2 uses a dual-core A5 processor from Apple that consumes as little power is its predecessor, the A4, Jobs said. It offers up to nine times faster graphics performance than the A4, he remarked.
The iPad 2 has a built-in gyroscope and front and rear cameras but is 33 percent thinner than the original iPad, Jobs said. Despite this, the two have the same 10-hour battery life. The iPad 2 can remain on standby for one month on a charge.
Apple also trotted out two accessories for the device.
One is a cover that automatically wakes up the iPad 2 when it's opened and puts the device to sleep when it's closed. It's available in polyurethane or leather, in five colors.
The other iPad 2 accessory is an HDMI cable that provides output of up to 1080p HD video. It plugs into the iPad's bottom dock to provide both an HDMI port as well as a charging dock.
Other iPad 2 Info
The iPad 2 comes in black and white, and Apple's shipping it in white from day one, Jobs said in perhaps a self-deprecating stab at the company's struggles with offering a white iPhone 4.
There will be models available for both AT&T's (NYSE: T) and Verizon's wireless networks.
"Support for two distinct interface protocols -- UMTS and CDMA -- means the iPad 2 will be available to more operators," Jeff Orr, a practice director at ABI Research, told MacNewsWorld.
The iPad 2 will hit retail shelves March 11. It will be launched in 26 countries or more March 25.
That seems rather rapid compared to the three-month lag between the iPad 1's announcement in January 2010 and the availability of the WiFi version last April. The 3G/WiFi version hit retail shelves in May 2010.
Orr attributed the rollout speed to the experience Apple gained with the iPad 1.
The iPad vs. the Competition
From a hardware perspective, Apple is "playing catch-up with Motorola (NYSE: MOT) and LG," Dmitriy Molchanov, an analyst at the Yankee Group, told MacNewsWorld. However, it beats the competition on price and on the number of applications available, he said.
"There are three major trends in tablets and smartphones -- dual-core processors, connectivity software such as RIM's BlackBerry Bridge, and in-home services such as Motorola 4Home or iTunes Home Sharing," Molchanov added. "Apple's announcement conforms to each of these trends."
The iPad 2 will come in six versions: 16GB, 32GB and 64GB of memory, each with either WiFi and 3G abilities or WiFi only. They will be offered at the same price points as the iPad 1, from $499 to $829.
"Other tablet vendors have announced features similar to what the iPad 2 offers," ABI Research's Orr pointed out. "This is an evolutionary device -- it has things that should have been in the first version like the cameras," he added.
"My belief in the success of the iPhone and iPad is based on the music attached to them through iTunes, and the App Store," Brian Meehan, vice president of sales at Sourcebits, told MacNewsWorld. "While Android's catching up, its app store and those of the competition aren't at the level that Apple's is."
What About the Enterprise?
The iPad 2 appears to be strongly focused on entertainment, with iMovie and Garageband being heavily featured in Wednesday's presentation.
"This really sounds like a consumer device," ABI Research's Orr said. "I didn't hear any of those references to their corporate success that they've been touting in their financial calls," he added.
"I don't just see it as an infotainment-only device," Sourcebits' Meehan said. "The more powerful these tablets are the more we can do as developers to create more useful applications."
However, Apple's approach to marketing to the enterprise is different from that of other high-tech companies, and perhaps allowance should be made for that.
"Apple targets consumers and expects them to bring their tablets into the enterprise," the Yankee Group's Molchanov pointed out. "The strategy has been highly successful."
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