Apple iPad 2 Introduction: 10 Features That Define This New Model
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News Analysis: Apple's iPad 2, introduced as expected on March 2, delivers nearly all the features that were glaringly missing from the original model. These new features will continue to define what buyers want in a tablet computer.
It
took awhile and rumors that ran rampant prior to its announcement were
everywhere, but the iPad 2 has officially been revealed. The device boasts a
slimmer design, a heftier processor and a new version of iOS 4 to boot. By any
measure, it looks to be a fine alternative to any other tablet on the market
and could perform just as well at retail as its predecessor.
But amid the flurry of news that came from Apple's March 2 event, some might
miss the key features that have helped define the iPad 2. Sure, there's a new
iteration of the device, but what makes it special? What makes it important?
And perhaps most importantly, what makes it worth a person's hard-earned cash?
After much speculation and prognostication over the past several weeks, the
answers came out of the March 2 announcement.
Read on to find out about some of the key features that will come to define the
iPad 2 when it launches in the United States
on March 11.
1. The dual-core processor
One of the central updates to Apple's iPad 2 is the dual-core A5 processor.
According to Apple, the update will
deliver twice as much processing power as its predecessor, which should
mean substantial improvements in all the apps on the tablet. Admittedly, other
tablets, including the Motorola Xoom, come with a dual-core processor. But now
that Apple's tablet does as well, those competitors can't point to an improved
chip as an advantage for their own devices.
2. The apps
According to Apple, it now has over 65,000 applications designed for the iPad
in its App Store. That is extremely important to the success of the company's
tablet. Third-party applications help extend the functionality of devices.
Considering Apple has the app market wrapped up by a wide margin-it claims
Android 3.0 Honeycomb-based devices only have 100 apps available to
customers-it will be difficult for competing tablets to make decisive inroads into
the iPad's market dominance.
3. Built-in 3G on AT&T and Verizon
One of the key problems with the first-generation iPad is that it only allowed
users to connect to the Internet while on the go over AT&T's 3G connection.
If they wanted to connect to Verizon's network, they needed an additional
product, like the MiFi 2200 Hotspot. Luckily, the iPad 2 comes with the ability
for users to connect to either AT&T's 3G network or Verizon's 3G network
without the need for any other products. It's a luxury that most customers will
be happy to find in their iPad 2s.
4. iOS 4.3
With
the launch of Android 3.0 Honeycomb, Google has made it clear that it's in
the tablet game to win. The operating system, which features several
interesting features like full browsing and 3D capability, looks like a winner.
Apple announced that the iPad 2 will ship with iOS 4.3. That update will offer
personal hot spot functionality with the iPhone 4, FaceTime functionality and
an improved browsing experience. It's not groundbreaking. But at least for now,
it's what consumers will need to compare to Honeycomb.
