Despite being on medical leave, Steve Jobs made an appearance at the Apple event to launch the iPad 2. The second generation iPad has the A5 chip (faster graphics and processor), 33% thinner the the first iPad, .2 lb lighter, has front and rear facing cameras, comes in White/Black color, and is priced exactly the same as the original iPad ($499 USD for 16GB WiFi). It will be available in the US starting March 11 and in other countries by March 25. The Philippines will probably get gray market iPads sometime this month as well or April at the very latest.
They also launched 2 accessories. One is a new adaptor that allows you to connect your iPad to an HDMI cable. The second is a case that they’re calling Smart Cover which is made from Polyurethane.
Coming with the iPad 2 is iOS 4.3. It has a better version of the Safari browser, iTunes home sharing, preference for the side button to be mute or rotation lock, AirPlay improvements, iMovie, FaceTime, GarageBand, and Photo Booth.
Click here to go to the official iPad 2 Product Page on the Apple website.
Here’s the video of Steve Job’s complete keynote address announcing the iPad 2:
And here’s the product promotion video:
