Courtesy of Gizmodo
The new iPad is here. Apple's new tablet computer has arrived and its ultra-sharp 2048 x 1536 pixel Retina display is enough to set it apart from anyone else. It's almost like looking at a glossy magazine page.
It also has much more powerful guts, with a much faster processor, graphics and more memory. And it's 4G ready.
Retina display
The Retina display looks gorgeous. The screen has a 264 pixels per inch density. That's a total 3.1 million pixels in a full color IPS screen. The image color seems a lot better too. They say it has 44 percent more saturation than the previous IPS technology they were using.
Apple claims that it is still a Retina display because, when you held it at a normal distance, you just can't see the pixels. That distance is 15 inches. For the iPhone, which has a smaller screen, it is 10 inches. I can't wait to test this thing with all my comics.
Processor and graphics power
The processor is an A5X, which includes a quad-core graphics module. It's going to need all that graphics muscle if it has to push 3.1 million pixels.
According to Apple, it's twice as fast as a Tegra 3 and has "four times" the graphics performance.
New camera
The new iPad has a new camera on the back. It has a 5-megapixel side-iluminated sensor, with 5-element lens and an infrared filter. It's basically the same configuration of the iPhone 4S.
The camera is also capable of capturing 1080p video, which obviously looks razor sharp on the iPad's display. The video, like the iPhone 4S, is also stabilized.
Dictation
The new iPad's operating system offers a new microphone button, which will allow you to dictate emails, presumably using Siri technology. No mention of actual Siri assitance.
4G LTE connectivity
Apple says the new 4G LTE connectivity will give you 21Mbps on HSPA+ networks, 42Mbps on DC-HSDPA and 73Mbps on LTE. Of course, these speeds are theoretical. It will run on both AT&T and Verizon networks. According to Phil Schiller, the new model "has the most wireless bands that has ever shipped."
Launch date
You will be able to get it on March 16, but the preorder starts today. It will be available in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland and Japan on the same day.
The price is $499, $599 and $699 for 16, 32, and 64GB. If you want 4G LTE, you will have to spend $629, $729, and $829.
The Next Apple TV: Finally Big Beautiful HD
The Apple TV is a lovely little device, and the newest version puts extra emphasis on those adjectives: the pushes out a gorgeous, crisp 1080p picture in the same teensy package.
This is so, so long overdue. Until now, the Apple TV has been stuck at 720p, which, although still considered "HD," has lost a lot of its lustre in the era of Blu-ray, which boosts the resolution considerably. But what's the point of an Apple TV that streams movies in 1080p if none of the movies are in 1080p? No point at all! So of course, the new box will support movies and TV shows in 1080p—including unlimited streaming of movies you've purchased before, via iCloud. Need help figuring out what to watch? An iTunes music-style Genius will tell you what to watch.
The UI itself is also getting an HD overhaul, with a new, simplified menu of shiny chiclet icons. It'll pull in iTunes Match, your iCloud Photo Stream, and pretty much everything the Apple TV offered last time around. Now it's presented with less text.