iPad 3 Release Event Unveils 'The New iPad,' Comes With 4G LTE
The iPad 3, simply called "the new iPad" by Apple CEO Tim Cook during the unveiling, will sport brand new 4G LTE capabilities, as well as a host of other features.
The third generation of iPad sports many new features, but one of the most impressive was its support of many different types of wireless internet connectivity; EV-DO, HSPA, HSPA+, and dual-carrier HSDPA are all supported.
"Now the new iPad support HSPA+ for up to 21Mbps, and if you haven't heard about dual-carrier HSDPA for up to 42Mbps," said Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing.
Quicker than all of those network connections will be the 4G LTE, which will be significantly faster at 73Mbps. In laymen's terms, 4G LTE was capable of downloading five huge photos before one downloaded on 3G. LTE would only be available through either Verizon or AT&T, however.
In addition, the 3G of the new iPad has been greatly improved, with a personal hotspot possible for the network that supports them. This means iPads that can provide internet access to other devices.
"We've added software to make it a personal hotspot if your carrier supports the personal hotspot feature," said Schiller.
The newest iPad also has a multitude of other features - mainly improvements to areas where the iPad 2 was considered lacking.
Apple's patented "Retina display" - named for the human eye's inability to distinguish the individual pixels - will have a 2048 x 1536 resolution, so its 3.1 million pixels will allow for high-definition movies and games.
Another upgrade was the camera, which was given the iSight technology of the iPhone 4S.
"Wherever you are, you've got a great camera built-in to record full 1080p video with," boasted Schiller. The HD video recording, combined with iMovie and iPhoto, demonstrates the veritable ease in which the new iPad can create, edit, and show a movie or photo album.
One fairly new software enhancement was the voice dictation software. New iPad users can simply tap a button then dictate what they would like the iPad to type - somewhat similarly to the Siri software, although it does not function as a personal assistant.
All this software also runs on an A5X quad-core chip - many times more powerful than the original iPad's chip.
The new iPad will cost the same as every iPad has: $499, $599, and $699 for 16, 32, and 64GB versions, respectively. For the 4G LTE versions, the price jumps $130 to $629, $729, and $829.
The new iPad has a release date scheduled for March 16.
SEE VIDEO OF IPAD 3 AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE 4G NETWORK
SEE VIDEO OF IPAD 3'S NEW RETINA DISPLAY