iPad:Steve Jobs said to be considering an appearance at Apple’s iPad 2 event
Despite the fact that he is on medical leave from his day-to-day duties at Apple, company co-founder Steve Jobs may appear at Wednesday‘s iPad 2 media event, according to a new report.Kara Swisher of BoomTown reported Tuesday that Jobs is “mulling” an appearance at the company’s scheduled unveiling of the second-generation iPad. However, sources reportedly stressed that an appearance from the chief executive is “definitely not confirmed.”
“If he did appear, sources said Jobs would at least make a brief appearance onstage, along with other top company execs in showing off Apple’s latest version of its hugely popular tablet,” the report said.
Jobs, who turned 56 last week, has been spotted in public numerous times and even joined other Silicon Valley luminaries for dinner with President Barack Obama earlier this month. He was also spotted at California’s Stanford Cancer Center.
Jobs announced in mid January that he would take a leave of absence from his daily duties at Apple. He is still involved in major strategic decisions and remains the company’s chief executive.
The Apple CEO has not revealed the condition of his medical leave of absence, citing his health as a private matter. He has a history with cancer, undergoing surgery on his pancreas in 2004, and receiving cancer treatment and a liver transplant in 2009.
Apple is expected to introduce the second-generation iPad at an event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday. The media event is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern, and AppleInsider will have full coverage.
[iPad]NPD: Expanded distribution of iPad 2 could be Apple’s key to success
Exploring alternative retail partners like Kohl’s or Bed Bath & Beyond for the next-generation iPad could give Apple another advantage over its competitors in the booming tablet market.Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis with the NPD Group, wrote about the anticipated launch of the second-generation iPad on his company’s official blog on Tuesday. He said he believes distribution and availability of the touchscreen tablet will be an even more important factor than technical specifications for the next-generation device.
“As Apple talks more about small businesses and the iPad opportunity in enterprise it would be great if distribution focus was expanded to include more business-oriented channels like the office stores and the DMRs, such as PC Connection and Insight,” he wrote. “Those chains and resellers offer Apple real chances to gain incremental volume versus shoveling a couple more units through carrier stores or adding another Web site.
“Although, even in its consumer focus, Apple‘s distribution clearly needs to expand into more regional CE outlets and test more alternative distribution opportunities like department and home stores, such as Kohl’s or Bed Bath and Beyond.”
Though the first-generation iPad was initially only available through Apple, the company gradually expanded its availability as 2010 went on. By the end of last year, the iPad was on sale from a number of partners, including carriers Verizon and AT&T; retailers like Target, Best Buy and Walmart; as well as third-party distributors.
In addition to distribution, Baker said he believes pricing of the next iPad will be a “critical” decision for Apple. This year, a plethora of tablet competitors running a variety of operating systems are set to hit the market and aim to unseat the iPad as the best-selling tablet device.
With tablet competition looming, Baker sees device makers competing for shelf space and an inevitable price war. If the iPad 2 launches with too high a price, Apple could potentially be undercut by a less expensive competitor at some point before the holiday buying season of 2011.
“Since Apple never responds to that type of price activity,” he wrote, “the key to iPad 2′s announcement will be whether today’s price holds or Apple is the first one to shoot off a canon in a tablet price war.”
For the moment, the pricing of Apple’s iPad remains an advantage over its competition, with the 16GB Wi-Fi-only model starting at $499. Apple executives have said they see the tablet market as an important sector with huge growth potential, and they plan to be aggressive in terms of pricing.
iPhone:Verizon plans to end unlimited data plans by this summer
A Verizon executive hinted Tuesday that the carrier will cease offering unlimited data plans for the iPhone as early as the middle of this summer, while also fueling speculation that Apple will release an updated Verizon iPhone later this year.Verizon Chief Financial Officer Francis Shammo made the remarks at an investors conference, Reuters reports. According to Shammo, the carrier will probably transition to tiered pricing data plans in the “mid-summer time frame.”
Shammo also told investors Tuesday that Verizon had kept the unlimited plan for the iPhone launch because it “didn’t want to put up a barrier” to consumers looking to try out the handset.
Rumors emerged in early January that Verizon planned to offer unlimited data to iPhone customers. Rival AT&T began limiting its data plans last year, but quietly began offering some of its iPhone customers unlimited data again in January in an effort to keep them from switching to Verizon.
After a leaked memo revealed that new iPhone 4 customers on Verizon would be offered just a $30 unlimited data plan, Verizon COO Lowell McAdam went on record as saying the unlimited data plan would only be a temporary offer, with tiered pricing coming in “the not too distant future.”
The report noted that shares of Verizon fell 2.4 percent Tuesday after Shammo warned that a new iPhone could negatively affect profit margins. “There could be some (margin) lumpiness when you launch the phone,” he said. “If there happens to be a new one that comes out, that quarter might not look so good (either).”
According to one analyst, Shammo’s remarks serve as evidence that an updated CDMA iPhone would arrive later this year. “I would take that comment as a pretty strong signal there’s an iPhone refresh coming to Verizon in the third quarter,” said Credit Suisse analyst Jonathan Chaplin.
Last week, Verizon CEO Dan Mead hinted that an LTE-capable iPhone from Apple is in the works. The executive also reassured investors by revealing that the iPhone 4 launch had been the largest in company history, contrary to reports that had suggested a more lackluster launch.
Apple expected to ship 6.5M iPads in first quarter, 40M in 2011
Shipments of the iPad, including the second-generation model to be announced by Apple today, are expected to be between 6 million and 6.5 million in the first quarter of 2011, on their way to 40 million for the calendar year.The numbers from DigiTimes on Wednesday show that Apple expects to significantly ramp up production of the iPad as 2011 wears on. For the initial launch of the iPad 2, Apple is expected to have between 300,000 and 400,000 units available.
Apple reportedly ordered between 1.7 million and 2 million iPads in January and February. Order volumes for March, including the to-be-announced iPad 2, are expected to top 2 million.
Citing industry sources, the report said there were between 1 million and 1.5 million units of iPad inventory in the channel in January. It added that Apple is “already set to phase out the first-generation iPad and let iPad 2 take its place.”
In a separate report, DigiTimes also reported that gallium arsenide (GaAs) power amplifer suppliers, including TriQuint Semiconductor and Skyworks Solutions, are expected to benefit from the iPad 2 launch. Visual Photonics Epitaxy Company and Advanced Wireless Semiconductor Company of Taiwan are also said to be GaAs foundry suppliers for the iPad 2.
In February, it was said that more than 60 percent of Apple’s initial iPad 2 production would be 3G-capable models. The company is expected to produce three versions of the new iPad: a Wi-Fi-only model, a GSM/UMTS version, and a CDMA/EVDO model.
Apple’s official unveiling of its second-generation iPad will take place Wednesday at 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern. AppleInsider will have full, extensive coverage.
iPhone:Random House books come to Apple’s iBookstore for iPad, iPhone
Days after publisher Random House announced it would adopt the agency model for e-book sales, content from the world‘s largest consumer trade publisher — including “The Da Vinci Code” — began appearing on Apple’s iBookstore.Content from Random House began populating the iBooks application on Wednesday, just hours before Apple is set to unveil its second-generation iPad. Some rumors have suggested that the new device will have an improved display with superior anti-reflective properties, allowing for easier reading of content like e-books in sunlight.
When the iBooks application launched last April, Random House was the most noteworthy absence from Apple’s new digital storefront. Other major publishers, including HarperCollins, Hachette, Penguin, Macmillan and Simon & Schuster made their content available from day one.
Random House’s content is able to be sold on the iBookstore now because the world’s largest publisher announced on Monday that it had adopted the “agency mode” for e-book sales in the U.S. That model allows Random House to set consumer prices for e-books it publishes, and provides retailers with a commission for each sale.
Apple takes a 30 percent cut of all content sold on the iBookstore, just as the company does with applications sold on the App Store. Random House content was previously available on the iPad only through the Amazon Kindle application and separate storefront.
iPad:Last-minute iPad 2 mockup surfaces in China with flat back, larger speaker
Just hours before Apple is set to announce its second-generation iPad, new images representing the anticipated design of the device, complete with a flatter back and larger speaker grille, have surfaced online.The high-quality mockup from DGtle.com could offer users an idea of what the new iPad will look like only hours before the official unveiling at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, Calif. The device, also listed on eBay as a “dummy,” is shown with a new thinner design, as well as an anticipated larger speaker on the second-generation device.
The mockup also includes the anticipated addition of two cameras to the iPad for FaceTime video chat and augmented reality applications. And the new iPad is also shown with a flatter back, allowing the device to sit flat on a table, unlike with the slightly curved design of the first-generation device.
Though the mockup uses a white space for the integrated 3G antenna, the report notes that, like with the current iPad, the strip along the top will be black for the final shipping product. The headphone jack and power button are also shown as part of an “inclined plane” across the top of the device.
On the left side of the device when facing forward is a SIM card slot. AppleInsider first reported in January that the space on the new iPad design would be used for a SIM card on the left side.
Interestingly, the mockup does not include a space on top for a Mini DisplayPort-size connector. Some third-party cases suggested that another port could be added to the top of the new iPad, and last week’s release of new MacBook Pros with a high-speed Thunderbolt port in the shape of Mini DisplayPort fueled rumors that the new iPad will feature support for the new connector.
From the front, both the first-generation iPad and the mockup of the anticipated model show the same screen size and look largely the same, with the exception of a new FaceTime camera located above the 9.7-inch display. Apple is set to officially unveil the real iPad 2 at 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern, and AppleInsider will have full live coverage.
iPad:Steve Jobs surprises with return to the stage at Apple’s iPad 2 event
Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs surprised the crowd Wednesday by taking the stage at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, just weeks after he left his daily duties for health reasons.Jobs was greeted with a standing ovation when he took the stage. He noted to the audience that Apple has been working on the second-generation iPad for awhile, and that he didn’t want to miss its unveiling.
For his first announcement, Jobs revealed that Random House has come to the iBookstore for iOS devices. Random House will add more than 17,000 books to the digital storefront, and users have already downloaded more than 100 million books in less than a year from more than 2,500 publishers.
He also announced that Apple recently sold its 100 millionth iPhone, and that more than $2 billion has been paid to developers through the App Store. In addition, Jobs boasted that in 9 months the iPad sold more than every tablet PC ever, with 15 million in the hands of users.
Rumors first surfaced on Wednesday that Jobs was “mulling” a return to the stage, despite his recent health issues. Jobs announced in mid January that those issues had forced him to take a leave of absence from his daily duties at Apple, though he remains the company’s CEO.
iPad:Apple shows off iMovie, GarageBand for iPad 2
In addition to the new, faster iPad 2, Apple on Wednesday demonstrated new versions of iMovie and GarageBand built for the mobile multi-touch device.iMovie
Apple demonstrated a new version of iMovie for iPad, allowing users to edit videos on the go. The updated software will take advantage of the larger display on the iPad, versus its iPhone counterpart.
iMovie for iPad will also utilize the dual cameras found on the new device, which can be used to record 720p video at 30 frames per second. Users can also share their videos from within the application with sites like YouTube, or even publish on iTunes.
Features of iMovie, according to Apple, include:
Add a touch of Hollywood: Make your movie look like a mini-blockbuster with one of eight unique themes that give your video an unforgettable look. Three new themes — Neon, Simple, and CNN iReport — provide more ways to enhance your project. And each theme includes great titles, transitions, and an accompanying soundtrack.
Give it your best shots: Choose the best photos taken with the built-in camera in your iOS device and drop them into your project. Or add photos you synced to your device. iMovie customizes each shot with a Ken Burns-style panning effect that uses face detection to keep faces in the frame. And now you can enhance your snaps with graphics and text by selecting from a variety of title styles in each theme.
Create the perfect soundtrack: iMovie gives you lots of ways to add a little ear candy to your projects, from soundtracks and sound effects to direct audio recording from the microphone in your iOS device.
Add some sound to your sights: Cue the laughter or the tears with background music and a collection of fun sound effects. Choose from eight soundtracks that match the look and feel of iMovie themes, or browse and select a tune from your own music library. With over 50 sound effects, iMovie lets you dial up the drama in every parting or pratfall.
Cover all your tracks: Hit all the right notes with visual editing of your soundtrack. Drag to add, delete, and rearrange audio clips. Easily adjust the volume of any audio track. Add multiple background songs or loop a musical selection to fill out your project. iMovie automatically fades out the music at the end of your movie for maximum effect. And iMovie on iPad even lets you see audio waveforms for every clip in your project, so you can edit with more precision.
Tell your story your way: Narrate the action or create your own soundtrack by recording audio directly into your movie’s timeline using the microphone in your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. The live level meter lets you monitor your recording volume. It’s easy to review, discard, re-record, or accept each take.
Share the drama: What’s a great movie without an audience to enjoy it? iMovie makes getting your project to an adoring public (or to another iOS device) simple.
Share on the web: When it’s time for your big premiere, publish right from iMovie to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, or CNN iReport for your friends and family to see. Add descriptions and keywords — even set viewing access for exclusive screenings — all within the app. Or send your movie to the Camera Roll and publish it in your MobileMe gallery, attach it to an email, or send it via MMS on iPhone 4.
Share in your home: Use AirPlay to enjoy your creations on your HDTV by streaming directly to Apple TV.* Or export movies to the Camera Roll and sync them back to your Mac or PC. iPad 2 also supports mirroring, so you can use the Apple Digital AV Adapter (sold separately) to play your movie on your HDTV or a bigger projection screen.
Share among devices: Want to shoot with an iPhone and edit on an iPad? No problem. You can transfer your iMovie projects between compatible iOS devices via iTunes.
The universal application will also be updated for the iPhone and iPod touch, and it will be available on March 11 for $4.99.
GarageBand for iPad comes complete with touch instruments that emulate a grand piano, organ, guitars, drums and bass. Users can also take advantage of guitar amps and effects in the mobile multi-touch software. Smart instruments will also allow users who do not know how to play an instrument to learn or make music.
GarageBand also offers 8 track recording and mixing, and will feature more than 250 loops. It will have shared compatibility with the Mac version, and users can e-mail their creations as an AAC file from directly within the software.
Features of GarageBand for iPad, according to Apple, include:
Touch Instruments: Play a collection of highly expressive musical instruments designed for Multi-Touch that sound and play just like their real counterparts, but let you do things you could never do on a real instrument.
Recording studio: Make tracks anywhere you go. Arrange and mix your songs anywhere inspiration strikes using a powerful eight-track recording studio that can handle any combination of audio recordings, Touch Instruments, and loops.
iPhone iOS:Apple’s iOS 4.3 has 2X faster JavaScript, AirPlay enhancements, iTunes to iOS sharing
Apple on Wednesday showed off new features of iOS 4.3, including two times faster JavaScript performance in Safari, and the ability to wirelessly share and stream content from an iTunes library on a Mac or PC to an iOS device.“With more than 160 million iOS devices worldwide, including over 100 million iPhones, the growth of the iOS platform has been unprecedented,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iOS 4.3 adds even more features to the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, across three blockbuster devices — iPad, iPhone and iPod touch — providing an ecosystem that offers customers an incredibly rich experience and developers unlimited opportunities.”
iOS 4.3 will have the same Nitro JavaScript engine from Mac OS X, bringing performance twice as fast to the Mobile Safari browser on the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.
Improved iTunes home sharing will also allow users to access all of their content directly over Wi-Fi. And enhancements to AirPlay will allow applications and websites to stream over Wi-Fi to the Apple TV set top box. Sharing of photos over AirPlay can also use the built-in slide show options of iOS.
Apple also showed off a new version of Photo Booth for iPad and iPhone, which allows users to take photos and edit them. A demonstration showed that the software capable of accessing 9 live video streams at once with real-time effects.
“When the mood strikes, turn the camera on yourself, make some faces, and start shooting snapshot-style,” Apple‘s promotional materials read. “Choose from artsy, wacky, and weird effects. Twist up your face, see yourself doubled, or look like you stepped into a comic book. Photo Booth is great for parties or just for kicks. And the fun keeps coming as you keep snapping.”
Also shown off was FaceTime functionality with iOS 4.3. The addition of FaceTime will allow users to video chat with others on Apple’s range of devices, including Macs, the iPhone 4, and the fourth-generation iPod touch.
“FaceTime on iPad 2 lets you drop in on your favorite people and see how they’re doing. And what they’re doing. And who they’re with,” Apple said. “You could be anywhere, they could be anywhere. With a tap, your iPad 2 calls someone else’s iPad 2, iPhone 4, new iPod touch, or Mac over Wi-Fi.”
Apple Unveils iPad 2; Thinner, Lighter, Comes With Faster 1 GHz Dual-Core A5 Chip, Cameras; Will Be Available On March 11th
Apple unveiled the second generation iPad – iPad 2 at today’s ‘Come See What 2011 Will Be Year Of’ event.iPad 2 is 33% thinner, 15% lighter than the original iPad, comes with the same 9.7 inch screen and features Apple’s new dual-core A5 chip for faster performance and better graphics, front facing camera for FaceTime and PhotoBooth and a rear facing camera that captures 720p HD video.
Here are some of the major new features of iPad 2:
Apple’s New A5 Chip:
iPad 2 gets Apple’s new 1GHz dual-core A5 chip, which according to Apple is two times faster than the original iPad. It’s the first time we can recollect that Apple has revealed the speed of the processor for an iOS device.
It looks like A5 chip also includes a faster GPU, which improves graphic performance by up to 9 times.
Size and Weight:
As mentioned earlier, iPad 2 is 33% thinner – 0.34 inch (8.8 mm), 15% lighter at 1.33 pounds (601 g) than the original iPad. We’ve always felt that the original iPad is on the heavier side, so hopefully the reduction in weight will make it easier to hold for long durations.
Cameras:
iPad 2 gets two cameras – one front facing VGA camera for FaceTime – Apple’s video calling feature and a rear camera, which can take HD video. Apple hasn’t mentioned the megapixels of the rear facing camera, which indicates that Apple has probably used the 0.7 megapixel camera from iPod Touch 4G. We doubt someone will be using an iPad to take photos but it’s good to see iPad 2 coming with a front facing camera as it has the perfect screen size for video conferencing.
Colors:
iPad 2 will come in two colors: White and Black. Steve Jobs reassured the audience that white iPad 2 will start shipping on the same day as the black one unlike the white iPhone 4, which has been delayed until Spring.
Smart Cover:
The Smart cover as the name suggests is a cover for the iPad 2, which protects iPad’s screen. iPad 2 Smart Cover automatically wakes iPad 2 when it’s opened and puts it to sleep when it’s closed, and has a soft microfiber lining to help keep the screen clean. It appears to be a much better solution than an iPad case, which also adds to the weight of the device. Smart cover s available in polyurethane for $39 or leather for $69 in a range of colors.
Other tidbits:
- The resolution of the screen is the same as the original iPad – 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi).
- Even though iPad 2 comes with a faster processor, it has the same 10 hour battery life.
- iPad 2 also get a 3-axis gyroscope, which should improve the gaming experience.
- Apple has moved the microphone to the middle of the top-edge instead of next to the microphone, that’s probably the reason the purported iPad 2 cases had a slot at the top-center, which many had speculated was for the Thunderbolt I/O port or a Mini DisplayPort jack or a USB port.
- iPad 2 will come pre-installed with iOS 4.3, which was also previewed today.
- iPad 2 needs iTunes 10.2, which has just been released.
- Apple has unveiled a new iPad 2 dock.
- Apple has also released two new apps for iPad: iMovie for iPad and GarageBand for iPad.
- Though Apple has not revealed the amount of RAM in iPad 2, we expect it to be at least 512MB.
iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available for $499 for the 16GB model, $599 for the 32GB model, $699 for the 64GB model. iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 for the 16GB model, $729 for the 32GB model and $829 for the 64GB model.
Availability:
iPad 2 will available in the US on March 11th and on March 25th in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.
It needs to be seen if the new features and improvements, some of which address the shortcomings of the original iPad, will help Apple to keep its leadership position in the tablet marketplace, which will soon see a flood of devices like Motorola Xoom, BlackBerry Playbook, HP TouchPad etc.
Apple Reduces First Generation iPad Prices By $100
Apple has reduced the prices of the first generation iPad by $100 on its Online store after unveiling the 2nd generation iPad – iPad 2 as it wants to clear its inventory.This means that the entry level iPad – the 16GB Wi-Fi only iPad model is available for $399 and the 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G iPad model is available for $529.
The prices are as follows:
- iPad 16g Wi-Fi Only: $399
- iPad 32g Wi-Fi Only: $499
- iPad 64g Wi-Fi Only: $599
- iPad 16g Wi-Fi + 3G: $529
- iPad 32g Wi-Fi + 3G: $629
- iPad 64g Wi-Fi + 3G: $729
Do you plan to buy the first generation iPad or do you prefer to pay $100 more for iPad 2, which is thinner, lighter and comes with faster 1GHz dual-core A5 chip, cameras and more.
Apple Releases iTunes 10.2 With iOS 4.3 Support; Improves Home Sharing
Apple has just released iTunes 10.2, which brings support for iOS 4.3, which will be released on March 11th and improves iTunes Home Sharing feature as per the release notes.It is available via Apple Software update and is 35.5 MB for Mac and 66.09 MB in size for Windows.
According to the release notes, here’s what’s new in iTunes 10.2:
- Sync with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 4.3.
You can download iTunes 10.2 from this link or via Apple Software update. It is available for Mac OS X 10.5 and higher and Windows (32-bit and 64 bit).
We’ll let you know if iTunes 10.2 is safe for users who have jailbroken and/or unlocked their iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch shortly so stay tuned here at iPhone Hacks or follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our RSS feed.
Update:
MuscleNerd of iPhone Dev Team has confirmed that iTunes 10.2 is safe for jailbreakers:
Today’s iTunes 10.2 is safe for JBers (syncs fine, doesn’t break DFU JB tools or afc2, allows shift/opt-Restore, etc)
Apple announces redesigned iPad 2: A5 CPU, 2 cameras, ships March 11
Apple on Wednesday took the wraps off of its second-generation tablet, officially dubbed “iPad 2,” with a completely new, thinner design, a faster dual-core A5 processor, and two video cameras, shipping on March 11.The new iPad 2 is one-third thinner than the first-generation model, just 8.8mm thick, even thinner than the iPhone 4. At just 1.3 pounds, it is lighter than the previous 1.5 pound iPad. It will carry the same starting price of $499 for the entry-level 16GB Wi-Fi-only model.
The device will begin shipping in just over a week, on Friday, March 11, in the U.S., while 26 more overseas countries will get the device on March 25.
It also has rear and front facing cameras for recording video, taking photos, and FaceTime video chat. The new iPad also has a new A5 dual-core processor which offers up to 9 times faster graphics processing. Apple said the faster speeds of the new processor will not have any greater power consumption than the previous A4 processor.
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- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi + 3G
- Height: 9.50 inches (241.2 mm)
- Width: 7.31 inches (185.7 mm)
- Depth: 0.34 inch (8.8 mm)
- Weight: 1.33 pounds (601 g) Wi-Fi, 1.34 pounds (607 g) 3G
- 16GB
- 32GB
- 64GB
- Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n)
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology - Wi-Fi + 3G model: UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
- Wi-Fi + 3G for Verizon model: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1900 MHz)
- 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology
- 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)
- Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
- Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously
- 1GHz dual-core Apple A5 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip
- 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
- Photo and video geotagging over Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi:
- Built-in 25-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery
- Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music
- Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system
- 3G:
- Built-in 25-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery
- Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music
- Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using 3G data network
- Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system
- 30-pin dock connector port
- 3.5-mm stereo headphone minijack
- Built-in speaker
- Microphone
- Micro-SIM card tray (Wi-Fi + 3G model)
- Three-axis gyro
- Accelerometer
- Ambient light sensor
- Wi-Fi
- Digital compass
- Assisted GPS (3G only)
- Cellular (3G only)
- Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
- Audio formats supported: HE-AAC (V1 and V2), AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
- User-configurable maximum volume limit
- Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound pass-through with Apple Digital AV Adapter (sold separately)
- Video mirroring and video out support: Up to 1080p with Apple Digital AV Adapter or Apple VGA Adapter (cables sold separately)
- Video out support at 576p and 480p with Apple Component AV Cable; 576i and 480i with Apple Composite AV Cable
- Video formats supported: H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format
- Viewable document types: .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)
- Language support for English (U.S.), English (UK), French (France), German, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Korean, Japanese, Russian, Polish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Arabic, Thai, Czech, Greek, Hebrew, Indonesian, Malay, Romanian, Slovak, Croatian, Catalan, and Vietnamese
- Keyboard support for English (U.S.), English (UK), French (France), French (Canadian), French (Switzerland), German, Traditional Chinese (Handwriting, Pinyin, Zhuyin, Cangjie, Wubihua), Simplified Chinese (Handwriting, Pinyin, Wubihua), Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Korean, Japanese (Romaji, Ten Key), Japanese (Kana), Russian, Polish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Estonian, Hungarian, Icelandic, Lithuanian, Latvian, Flemish, Arabic, Thai, Czech, Greek, Hebrew, Indonesian, Malay, Romanian, Slovak, Croatian, Bulgarian, Serbian (Cyrillic/Latin), Catalan, Vietnamese, Tibetan, Macedonian, and Cherokee
- Dictionary support (enables predictive text and autocorrect) for English (U.S.), English (UK), French, German, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Korean, Japanese (Romaji), Japanese (Kana), Russian, Polish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Flemish, Arabic, Thai, Czech, Greek, Hebrew, Indonesian, Malaysian, Romanian, Slovak, Croatian, Catalan, Vietnamese, and Cherokee
- Support for playback of closed-captioned content
- VoiceOver screen reader
- Full-screen zoom magnification
- White on black display
- Mono audio
- Operating temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C)
- Nonoperating temperature: -4° to 113° F (-20° to 45° C)
- Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
- Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)
- Mac computer with USB 2.0 port
- Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later
- iTunes 10.2 or later recommended (free download from www.itunes.com/download)
- iTunes Store account
- Internet access
- PC with USB 2.0 port
- Windows 7; Windows Vista; or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later
- iTunes 10.2 or later recommended (free download from www.itunes.com/download)
- iTunes Store account
- Internet access
- iPad
- Dock Connector to USB Cable
- 10W USB Power Adapter
- Documentation
- Arsenic-free display glass
- BFR-free
- Mercury-free LED-backlit display
- PVC-free
- Recyclable aluminum and glass enclosure
ModelsSize and WeightStorageWireless and CellularDisplayChipCameras, Photos, and Video RecordingPower and BatteryInput/OutputSensorsLocationAudio PlaybackTV and VideoMail Attachment SupportLanguagesAccessibilityEnvironmental RequirementsMac System RequirementsWindows System RequirementsIn the BoxEnvironmental Status Report – iPad embodies Apple’s continuing environmental progress. It is designed with the following features to reduce environmental impact:
iPad:Newly replaced first-gen iPad now discounted $100 by Apple
The new iPad 2 has replaced the first-generation iPad, and Apple has discounted the starting price of the last year’s model down to $399, or $349 for a refurbished tablet, for remaining stock.For those who don’t need the latest and greatest, Apple is selling its remaining stock of last year’s iPad at a $100 discount. Users can buy the 16GB Wi-Fi-only model for just $399, and all models are currently available in stock, up to the high-end 64GB 3G-capable model for $729.
Apple is offering an even greater discount of $150 off of the price of the 16GB Wi-Fi and 3G refurbished previous-generation iPads. The entry-level model is available in Apple’s online store for $349 for Wi-Fi-only, or $479 for 3G-capable.
For the 32GB and 64GB capacities, buyers will save $70 off the newly discounted price, bringing total savings over the old pricing of $170. The high-end refurbished iPad with Wi-Fi, 3G and 64GB of capacity is $659.
The 3G-capable iPads are GSM/UMTS only, and in the U.S. are only capable of integrated 3G data speeds with the AT&T network. Apple will sell the new iPad 2 in two 3G variants: one GSM, and one CDMA for compatibility with Verizon‘s network.
iOS 4.3 Release Date – March 11th; Includes Faster Safari Performance, iTunes Home Sharing, AirPlay Enhancements, Personal Hotspot & More
Apple has just announced at today’s iPad 2 media event that iOS 4.3 will be released on March 11th.iOS 4.3 includes a number of new features and improvements such as faster Safari mobile browser performance as it uses the Nitro Javascript engine, iTunes home sharing, AirPlay enhancements, toggle for iPad’s side switch and personal hotspot for iPhone 4 users.
Here are more details about the new features:
Faster Safari:
Apple has ported the Nitro Javascript engine used in desktop version of Safari to iOS so Mobile Safari browser in iOS 4.3 loads Javascripts two times faster.
iTunes Home Sharing:
Allows iOS 4.3 users to play music, movies and TV shows on an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch from their iTunes library on a Mac or PC over a local Wi-Fi network. This feature was previously available only on the Mac and Windows PC.
AirPlay Enhancement:
AirPlay which was first introduced in iOS 4.2, allowed iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch users to wirelessly stream digital content to Apple TV 2G. However, the AirPlay option was available only in some pre-installed apps such as iPod/Video app and YouTube. iOS 4.3 will allow users to stream digital content from third party apps and websites and also videos and photos from the Photos app.
Personal Hotspot:
Personal Hotspot feature will allow users to share an iPhone 4 cellular data connection with up to five devices in a combination of up to three Wi-Fi, three Bluetooth and one USB device. However, carriers need to support the feature. We’ve heard that AT&T is already allowing the feature for iOS 4.3 beta users.
This feature is already available to Verizon iPhone users.
Compatibility:
iOS 4.3 is compatible with GSM iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch 4th generation, iPod Touch 3rd generation, iPad and iPad 2.
Unfortunately, iOS 4.3 will not available for iPhone 3G and iPod Touch 2nd generation, which means that iOS 4.2.1 is the last iOS software update for these devices. Surprisingly, iOS 4.3 is also not compatible with the Verizon iPhone.
Release date:
Apple announced during today’s media event that iOS 4.3 will be released on March 11th.
These are just some of the new features in iOS 4.3. Most of the features were already known to us except for iTunes Home sharing and faster Safari performance. You can checkout our detailed walkthrough of iOS 4.3 features to find out about the features in iOS 4.3 that Apple didn’t mention.
Are you looking forward to the iOS 4.3 software update?
iPhone:Apple releases iTunes 10.2 for compatibility with iOS 4.3 devices
Apple on Wednesday issued iTunes 10.2, bringing the ability to sync with devices running iOS 4.3 ahead of the operating system update’s release, and also adding new Home Sharing features for iOS 4.3.iTunes 10.2 is now available for Mac OS X (75.61MB), Windows 32-bit (76.72MB) or Windows 64-bit (77.61MB). With it, users will be able to sync their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch running iOS 4.3 when it is released next Friday.
The update to the media suite also offers improved Home Sharing, allowing users to browse and play from their iTunes library with any iPhone, iPad or iPod touch running iOS 4.3
Apple on Wednesday highlighted some of the features of iOS 4.3 before its release, including the improved Home Sharing, which will allow users to access all of their remotely stored iTunes content directly over Wi-Fi.
In addition to new features, iTunes 10.2 also includes a number of security fixes related to ImageIO, libxml and WebKit. The security fixes for iTunes 10.2 apply to machines running Windows 7, Vista, and XP Service Pack 2 or later.
The last update for iTunes was version 10.1.2, released in late January. It included support for the CDMA-based Verizon iPhone 4.
Verizon To Discontinue Unlimited Data Plans For iPhone Customers By Mid-Summer
Bloomberg is reporting that Verizon Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo has revealed that it plans to discontinue its unlimited data plan for iPhone users as early as mid-summer.Verizon currently offers their smartphone customers include iPhone customers an unlimited data plans for $30 on top of customers calling plans.
Bloomberg reports:
The carrier, which began selling the iPhone last month, now offers a $30 unlimited data plan on the device. Such plans on the handset are “not a long-term solution,” Shammo said on a conference call at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference today.Reuters adds:
“We will probably do that in the mid-summer time frame,” Verizon Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo said during a webcast of an investor conference. Verizon Wireless kept its unlimited plan for its first iPhone customers as it “didn’t want to put up a barrier” to consumers who wanted to try out the device on its network, the executive said.The unlimited data plans is currently seen as a unique selling point of the Verizon iPhone as AT&T stopped offering iPhone customers unlimited data plan just before iPhone 4 was launched.
We have also heard that the unlimited data plans offer from Verizon has put a lot of pressure on AT&T and it is quietly giving some of its iPhone customers the option to switch to unlimited data plan to stop them from switching to Verizon.
But the news that Verizon will discontinue the unlimited data plan does not come as a surprise as Verizon’s Chief Operating Officer Lowell McAdam had clarified that the $30 unlimited data plans will be available only for a temporary period as Verizon plans to move to tiered pricing like AT&T:
Speaking later Tuesday morning, Mr. McAdam said the iPhone unlimited plan will be a temporary offer and that the carrier will follow AT&T’s move to tiered pricing in the not too distant future.Existing Verizon customers should be able to keep their unlimited data plans through the tenure of their contract, however it needs to be seen if Verizon will allow them to grandfather the unlimited data plans when they want to upgrade to the next generation iPhone.
What do you think about Verizon’s decision to discontinue the unlimited data plans? Would it be a deal breaker for you? Tell us in the comments section below.
iPhone:Apple delays iOS 4.3 for CDMA Verizon iPhone
In announcing the release of iOS 4.3 on March 11, Apple has explicitly excluded CDMA iPhone 4 from the list of supported devices, indicating that a separate build will be provided afterward.The new iOS 4.3 release will officially support the 2009 iPhone 3GS, the GSM iPhone 4, third and fourth generation iPod touch, and iPad models. This leaves out the CDMA iPhone 4 as well as Apple TV (which is normally updated on its own, independent schedule).
The Verizon iPhone 4 was released using its own software build, labeled iOS 4.2.5. Other iOS devices remained at iOS 4.2.1, which was released in November. Apple subsequently updated Verizon iPhones to iOs 4.2.6 to fix a bug related to its new Personal Hotspot feature.
Apart from the brief exclusive of its Personal Hotspot feature, the Verizon iPhone is being updated separately because it uses a different baseband chip than other iPhones, requiring a separate firmware. Apple may be waiting for Qualcomm to deliver a specific update for the chip before integrating the new firmware into the iOS release for that model.
Apple hasn’t announced a date for the Verizon iPhone release version of iOS 4.3, but it is likely to follow shortly after the initial release for GSM iPhones because the new build packs a variety of features and improvements.
New major features in iOS 4.3
The general features provided to all iOS devices by iOS 4.3 include Personal Hotspot (WiFi tethering), which Verizon iPhone users already have. However, there are also a number of other significant new improvements Verizon iPhone users will want, including:
• Improved Safari JavaScript performance using the Nitro engine, which Apple says boosts JavaScript execution up to twice as fast. JavaScript powers much of the interactivity of modern web apps.
• Support for AirPlay video streaming by third party apps, as well as videos within the web browser or within the Photos app. Streamed photos also use slideshow transitions.
• The ability to locally stream (without downloading or syncing) any content from your iTunes library via Home Sharing: music, movies, TV, podcasts, or audiobooks.
New minor features in iOS 4.3
Additionally, there are a variety of smaller tweaks and updates included in iOS 4.3:
• A new Noteworthy font in Notes
• Fixes a slideshow stop after 15 image when using AirPlay
• The ability to cancel and delete an app that is downloading. It is currently only possible to delete an app that has been installed.
• A slightly redesigned keyboard; missing accented letters in European keyboard popups; increased font size for China and Pinyin inputs
• A new Parental Controls setting for the iTunes Ping social network
• A new menu for scrubbing in videos, with Fine Scrubbing by seconds/frames; Quarter Scrubbing by second; Half Speed Scrubbing by minute and Hi-Speed Scrubbing by minutes.
• A new Updates section in the App Store and new Accounts section in the Store menu.
• Location Services settings moves from General to Settings Menu, and both Location Services and Mail accounts ON/OFF button is changed to a lock symbol.
Some minor features (outside of Personal Hotspot) and bug fixes are also targeting just GSM iPhones:
• Baseband is updated to 05.16.00 (for iPhone 3GS), 04.10.01 (for GSM iPhone 4)
• Enabled Traffic Volume Indicator IE in CELL UPDATE; fixes issue with integrity protection failing after SRNS relocation and iPhone units deactivating and not activating after baseband logging is enabled
• A control to set repeat of text tone (up to 10 times)
• Automatic refresh of information displayed in Field Test Mode (removing manual refresh)
• Slideshow options have moved to Photos app
• New Contact photo user interface
• Dual vibrate when receiving a text message
New bug fixes in iOS 4.3
A variety of minor changes and bug fixes are also addressed in iOS 4.3:
• Accessibility: Voice Over now reads the entire chart in stocks app while in landscape mode. Fixed issues that prevented controls from being dismissed, or that prevented the keyboard from returning when highlighting and swiping through search results
• Calendar: deleting a recurring event now make the alarm go away; fixed an all-day alarm going off an hour early. Canceled recurring CalDAV calendar events now removed on the event list. Fixed Exchange calendar event duplicating when passing Israeli daylight savings time.
• Language: updates inconsistent translations in Chinese, Finnish, Norwegian, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese; fixes auto-correction issue when switch back from Emoji to English keyboard
• Mail: fixes orientation of Mail not following device orientation under specific conditions; fixes popover when drilling into a thread while the empty search field is focused; fixes mail message view and orientation when quickly selecting a message and hitting edit mode
• Safari: addresses issue that caused browser to crash after loading certain websites
iPhone:Apple brings HDMI output to iPhone 4, iPad, iPad 2
Alongside iPad 2, Apple has released a new $39 “Digital AV Adapter” that supports HDMI audio and video output for 720p photo slideshows and movies on iPhone 4, iPod touch 4 and iPad, while also supporting video mirroring on the upcoming iPad 2.The new adapter plugs into the Dock connector, providing both an HDMI port and a Dock passthrough so attached iOS devices can charge while playing or sync while connected to an external display.
“Watch slideshows and movies on the big screen in up to 720p by connecting your iPad, iPhone 4, or iPod touch (4th generation) to an HDTV or HDMI-compatible display,” Apple notes on its store page.
“Use the Apple Digital AV Adapter to mirror whatever’s on your iPad 2 screen — apps, presentations, websites, and more — on your HDTV or HDMI-compatible display in up to 1080p HD (movies play at up to 720p).”
Previously, the iOS devices introduced in 2010 only supported VGA output, which provides analog component video with no support for audio out. It was not known that iPhone 4 and its iPod touch sibling also had latent support for HDMI, a digital connection that pairs DVI video signals with audio. Most modern HDTVs support HDMI input.
Apple also supports AirPlay wireless audio and video streaming from iPhone 4, iPod touch and iPad, which uses WiFi to deliver music photos and video to the new iOS-based Apple TV, or audio to AirPort Express base stations and some third party devices that support AirPlay.
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