IPad Features: 11 Things You Need To Know About Apple's New Tablet

After months of talk, Apple finally announced the release of its latest tablet device at an event in San Francisco, Calif. on March 7.

World, meet the new iPad. (That' right, "iPad." Not iPad 3, not iPad HD, not iPad 2X -- just iPad.)

While the device doesn't look too different from its predecessor on the outside, like the iPhone 4S before it, the differences are mainly internal. Flip through the slideshow below to learn more about what latest (and greatest?) Apple iPad has to offer, and tell us: What new iPad feature are you most excited about? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Also, check out everything Apple announced on March 7 (including an iOS 5 upgrade and a new Apple TV), as well as the most insane stats revealed by Apple execs and how to trade in your old iPad.

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• Show-Stopping Display

  The photo above shows the difference between the iPad 2's 1,024 x 768 pixel display and the new iPad's high-definition Retina display, which has double the resolution and four times the pixels (2,048 x 1,536 pixels). <a href="http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/features/retina-display.html" target="_hplink">Apple has described a Retina display as</a> "pixel density is so high your eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels." And how does it stack up to other tablet displays? <a href="http://twitter.com/ryan/statuses/177548523254988800" target="_hplink">GDGT's Ryan Block said</a> of his first hands-on with the new device: "It's the best display I've ever seen. Anywhere, period."

• 4G, A First For Apple

  Apple's March 7 event marked a first for Apple, the arrival of 4G LTE connectivity on a mobile device. Purchased with a two-year contract from either AT&T or Verizon, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/06/ipad-hd-apples-next-ipad-_n_1323535.html" target="_hplink">a 4G iPad</a> will, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204603004577267441821060940.html" target="_hplink">according to The Wall Street Journal,</a> "allow users to connect a[t] speeds roughly 10 times faster than current 3G data networks." 4G models will also "work on any 3G network," <a href="http://gigaom.com/apple/apple-ipad-event-live-blog/" target="_hplink">per GigaOm</a>. New iPad models equipped with this unique feature, however, will cost users slightly more than models without 4G. (More on this later.)

• Meatier Specs

  The new iPad may look pretty similar to the old one, but it's packing some serious hardware upgrades within its thin frame. <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/07/new-ipad-vs-ipad-2/" target="_hplink">These include a faster processor</a>, the "quad-core" 1GHz Apple A5X, which Apple claims to offer twice the processing power of the A5 CPU (found in the iPad2) and four times the graphics-rendering power of the Tegra 3 processor found in many Android tablets, <a href="http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/03/live-blog-apple-ipad3-event/ " target="_hplink">per Wired's live blog of the event</a>. <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5891158/new-ipad-hd-the-third-generation" target="_hplink">Gizmodo argues</a> that Apple has also probably upped the device's RAM, "if only to handle the new resolution."

• No Siri

  The new iPad did not get Apple standout iPhone 4S feature, the voice-activated virtual personal assistant, Siri. What it did get was Voice Dictation, which will be a blessing for anyone who has ever tried to type on the iPad's tricky virtual keyboard. To use the handy new feature, just tap the microphone icon on the keyboard and start talking. <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2012/03/07/ios-5-update-siri-speaks-japanese-voice-dictation-comes-to-new-ipad/" target="_hplink">Current languages supported by dictation</a> include U.S., U.K. and Australian English as well as Japanese, French and German.

• Familiar Look

  While the new iPad offers quite a bit more than the iPad 2 in terms of display, hardware, and connectivity, the outside remains almost identical to its predecessor, measuring 9.5 x 7.31 inches. As expected, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/27/ipad-3-iphone-5-charger-dock-apple-rumors_n_1304388.html" target="_hplink">the biggest difference between the updated Apple tablet and its predecessor is its thickness...</a>

• A Bit More Heft

  Compared to the .34 inch iPad 2, the new iPad measures .37 inches deep, <a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/compare/" target="_hplink">according to Apple's website</a>. In addition, the new iPad has .11 pounds on the iPad 2, weighing in at 1.44 lbs. The 4G version of the new iPad is even heavier, weighing in at a whopping 1.46 lbs.

• Upgraded Photo Tools

  <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/07/new-ipad-vs-ipad-2/" target="_hplink">The new iPad boasts 5-megapixel rear-facing iSight camera that shoots 1,080p HD video.</a> The iPad 2's rear camera was only .7-megapixels <a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/compare/" target="_hplink">and recorded video in a paltry 720p.</a> <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2012/03/07/iphoto-on-ipad/" target="_hplink">iPhoto</a>, Apple's photo-editing software, is now available for the iPad. The app can be used for editing, effects, beaming photos between devices and sending finished products to iCloud or social networking accounts. The app also lets users create photo journals, digital scrapbooks into which users can insert maps, notes and weather widgets. <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57392601-1/apple-launches-ipad-app-for-iphoto-updates-others/" target="_hplink">The new iPhoto app costs $4.99 and is available today. </a>

• Personal Hotspot

  The 4G version of the new iPad also comes with a feature called Personal Hotspot, which "can be used to share the fast network connection on your iPad with up to 5 other devices using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB," <a href="http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2012/03/07Apple-Launches-New-iPad.html" target="_hplink">according to an Apple press release</a>. Currently, this feature is available only for Verizon customers.

• Powerful Battery

  Even though the new features like Retina Display and 4G connectivity will be consuming a lot more juice, a larger, more powerful battery will keep the new tablet charged for the same amount of time as the previous model. Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, had the following to say about the battery during Apple's Wednesday event (<a href="http://live.gdgt.com/live-apple-ipad-3-event-coverage/" target="_hplink">per GDGT</a>): "You may recall we claim 10 hours of battery life, and 9 hours on 3G. The new iPad delivers the same 10 hours of battery life, and 4G is 9 hours."

• Price And Availability

  <a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/compare/" target="_hplink">The WiFi-only iPad starts at $499 for the 16GB then jumps to $599 for the 32GB and $699 for the 64GB.</a> The 4G version starts at $629 for 16GB and tops out at $829 for the 64GB version. The iPad is available for pre-order now <a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/" target="_hplink">and will begin shipping on March 16. </a> [<strong>CORRECTION</strong>: An earlier version of this slideshow incorrectly listed the pricing of the WiFi-only iPad.]

• New Apps

  Along with Apple's announcement of the new iPad came a league of updated apps that will put the device's Retina Display to good use. According to Engadget, <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/07/apple-ipad-3-liveblog/" target="_hplink">all of the stock apps have been updated,</a> optimized, and scaled up so text will automatically be rendered in high resolution. In addition to uniform updates, several native Apple apps also received new features. <a href="http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2012/03/07Apple-Completes-iLife-for-iOS-With-Introduction-of-iPhoto-Major-Updates-to-iMovie-GarageBand.html" target="_hplink">Garage Band, for example, will now allow you to save creations to and easily share them through iCloud.</a> Also, <a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/165730/2012/03/apple_updates_imovie_garageband_iwork_for_ios.html" target="_hplink">according to MacWorld,</a> users will now be able to add an automatic string orchestra to their creations through the Smart Strings feature and fine-tune their recordings with Garage Band's Note Editor. Apple's updated iMovie app will feature more advanced editing tools and will enable sharing of videos in 1080p resolution to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, and Apple TV, <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/3/7/2851783/apple-imovie-update/in/2615987" target="_hplink">The Verge reported.</a> The new iMovie will also let users cut trailers while recording video, take advantage of nine different genre templates, and incorporate custom soundtracks from famous composers. In addition to its own apps, Apple also introduced a new generation of apps made specifically with the new iPad's higher resolution and enhanced hardware capabilities in mind. According to Engadget, these apps <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/07/apple-reveals-next-generation-apps-for-the-new-ipad-infinity-bl/" target="_hplink">came courtesy of third-party developers </a> like game-maker Namco, which previewed its jet combat simulator SkyGamblers, and Epic Games, the developer behind popular role-playing sword-fighting game Infinity Blade and creator of the new Retina display-optimized Infinity Blade: Dungeons. In addition, 3-D design software manufacturer Autodesk showed off its Sketchbook app, which allows for a whole new level of sketch detail thanks to the new iPad's improved display.

• ALSO ON THE HUFFINGTON POST

Comments

[rabit818]

08:48 PM on 05/13/2012

# 21 You can use the aluminum side of the iPad as a food warmer.

[Lane Jasper]

02:47 PM on 04/23/2012

4G IF you have 4G in your area which MANY don't....check the coverage map (for ATT at least).

[sabrina D]

12:39 AM on 03/22/2012

This is really nice :D i would like to buy it if the rate is low :(

[Tikko]

05:00 PM on 03/15/2012

Can you save documents to a flash drive device to share with someone without going on a WI-fi connection? NO - Does it support flash?...NO (Most websites are flash and much of the video content is flash) I don't suggest you buy an ipad and yes I have one ( I got it with a gift card that I won). BTW if you do decide to buy one, understand that in 8 months rumors will be out there about the ipad 4. I have found a use for my ipad but if I had to spend my own money to buy one i would have opted for the ACER Tablet instead. It has a USB that allows you to use a flash drive and supports flash. They even have a waterproof tablet now also.

[Lane Jasper]

02:46 PM on 04/23/2012

not iPad 4, iPad mini.

[rabit818]

08:45 PM on 05/13/2012

The future is cloud computing.

[gotanim3]

04:34 AM on 03/11/2012

1-10 - its the same as the previous model, only more expensive. Number 11 - it's outdone by competition before it even comes out, as usual...

[corte33]

01:56 AM on 03/11/2012

There must be something wrong with me. I haven't bought an iPad yet.

[springsm]

02:36 PM on 03/15/2012

I don't even have an old one...but this is mighty tempting. Whew.

[nacanabuc]

04:57 PM on 03/10/2012

Apple has brought out a new IPad and the herd is responding as expected.

[hpruk]

10:15 AM on 03/10/2012

all the tech writers are either in love with apple or afraid of it.
i have been buying apple products since 1980 before it became fashionable.
at that time it was frustrating since most of the applications were for windows.
so apple bunch became loyal . the new bunch seem to be equally fanatical and
unfortunately intolerant of others. I have an ipad2 and since others use it more
than i do, i bought a cheap playbook. to my surpraise it has a 5MP camera and
shoots and shows 1080p same as ipad3.
it has a hdmi port and i take it to work place to show video on big screen,
presentations etc . on the road it has replaced my laptop some times.
higher resolution does not make a difference due to limitations of eye except
in text reading. in case tablets since lt is transmitted rather than reflected light text
reading will be slower than reading on paper ( kindle speed is half of reading on
paper). cheap playbook does multi tasking and has good browser.
I think i will pass on ipad 3

[amajamus]

10:31 PM on 03/10/2012

And now you can get email and calendar on it. Box.net just gave all playbook owners 50GB for free. I also use MS 365 so I now have MS Office, Outlook on my playbook. I like the fact I can use my Blackberry as an optical mouse and keyboard with 2.0.

[Tylor Ray Gallagher]

01:27 PM on 03/09/2012

complete waste of time, unless you demand a better screen resolution, which by the way iTunes dues not sell almost ANY HD content, and in 3-4 years 4k-8k and even that might get passed over by M+ so the screen may look nice but really only for photos.
and every thing else is just miner updates from the last version and since it dues not even bother to update its self to present device standards who cares about i-product any more, so outdated.
and as a side note even he new OSX is just a modified version of the last OS. mean wile Google continues to grow and expand. and Microsoft is about to come out with windows 8, which has a touch first version of the os called metro, which its putting on phones, and Xbox as well. and apple falls all over again.

[LicitraVincent]

05:58 AM on 03/09/2012

The new ipad has a fluididty I've not seen matched even in Apple world. The retina can appear both pompus and self glorfied yet in essential comparison the sutlity is maximized to near nirvana status. Given the direction for these device models apple should rework some apps for extra "zing" effect but that will occur as a natural out flow of original think touch technology on the march.

[lambdin1]

09:52 PM on 03/08/2012

The only awesome thing I want to know is how Apple continues to sell the lemmings new equipment before the previous model is less than a year old?!?

[JackRimbaud]

08:39 AM on 03/09/2012

That is because they ARE lemmings!!
Mindless creatures that follow the herd all the way until they race off the cliff and fall into the ocean.

[niboned]

10:37 AM on 03/12/2012

Gee, how do android handset manufacturers do it? Oh, right, by obsoleting a six month old phone by refusing to release OS updates. Fail.

[Stephen Hines]

08:15 PM on 03/08/2012

So they've improved a screen that was already fine for 95% of users. But Apple still can't get with the idea of allowing users to plug in a memory card, or anything else that hasn't been pre-approved (and licensed) by The Holy Apple.

[amajamus]

10:33 PM on 03/10/2012

F/F!

[springsm]

02:38 PM on 03/15/2012

ahhh..the sad truth!

[Killermolls44]

07:20 PM on 03/08/2012

It's basically just an iPad 2 with slightly better screen quality and 4G that hardly ever works anywhere. What a rip off.

[Fred Williams]

07:02 PM on 03/08/2012

This would be a toy for me. I have got to have a full sized keyboard for data entry. Maybe one for a IR audio/video system controller.

[Nirzwan Bandolin]

05:57 PM on 03/08/2012

Can't afford it. I wish I could.