Everyone was expecting the latest iPad to be called iPad 3, but it appears that it’s simply called “iPad”. There were NO design changes! This new iPad is simply an upgrade from the iPad 2 and I can’t wait to see what the new retina display looks like on that large screen!

Apple just announced the new iPad and are touting it as “resolutionary”. I can see the internet meme groups now with their “I see what you did there…” quotes already! Sure enough, the iPad now has a Retina display, effectively doubling the resolution of the iPad 2. As of this writing, pre-orders have been limited to retail stores and over the phone. It appears that a visit to the new iPad pre-order link displays this message:

Apple never lets us down with a product launch!

Below is the full comparison table between the two devices:

	The new iPad	iPad 2
Chip
Display	High-resolution Retina display 2048-by-1536-pixel resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously	1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously
Camera	iSight camera: 5-megapixel with autofocus; tap to focus; face detection in still images; video recording, HD (1080p) up to 30 frames per second with audio; video stabilization FaceTime camera with VGA-quality photos and video at up to 30 frames per second Photo and video geotagging	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
Weight and Dimensions1	Wi-Fi Height: 9.50 inches (241.2 mm) Width: 7.31 inches (185.7 mm) Depth: 0.37 inch (9.4 mm) Weight: 1.44 pounds (652 g) Wi-Fi + 4G Height: 9.50 inches (241.2 mm) Width: 7.31 inches (185.7 mm) Depth: 0.37 inch (9.4 mm) Weight: 1.46 pounds (662 g)	Wi-Fi 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 + 3G for AT&T Height: 9.50 inches (241.2 mm) Width: 7.31 inches (185.7 mm) Depth: 0.34 inch (8.8 mm) Weight: 1.35 pounds (613 g) Wi-Fi + 3G for Verizon Height: 9.50 inches (241.2 mm) Width: 7.31 inches (185.7 mm) Depth: 0.34 inch (8.8 mm) Weight: 1.34 pounds (607 g)
Wireless	Wi-Fi Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n) Bluetooth 4.0 technology Carriers Wi-Fi + 4G for AT&T LTE (700, 2100 MHz)2; UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) Data only3 Wi-Fi + 4G for Verizon LTE (700 MHz)2; CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1900 MHz); UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) Data only3	Wi-Fi Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n) Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology Carriers Wi-Fi + 3G for AT&T UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) Data only4 Wi-Fi + 3G for Verizon CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1900 MHz) Data only4
Battery Life	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 cellular data network Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system	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 cellular data network Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system
Price	Wi-Fi $499 16GB $599 32GB $699 64GB Wi-Fi + 4G $629 16GB $729 32GB $829 64GB	Wi-Fi $399 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G $529 16GB

My two cents

I wasn’t impressed so much by the iPad 2 as compared to the original device because it wasn’t much of an upgrade, except in design. Plus, I had an iPhone 4 and the retina display was amazing. I often stated that Apple dropped the ball on iPad 2 by not including the Retina display, but it looks like they finally made it up to us. I have yet to see this new display in person, but as amazing as it looks on the small iPhone screens, I’m sure it looks even better on the new iPad.

I find that the naming convention is a little strange and might cause some confusion, but I guess they couldn’t just keep counting up, right? I mean how stupid would we look in 10 years with our iPad 13?? Anyway, I must say that I really like this iPad. I can’t say that I’ll be purchasing one, but if I did, I can tell you the 3 top selling points for me would be the new 4G LTE internet, the new A5X chip and the Retina display.