Apple iPad™ Australia 2011

Australians will only have to wait a fortnight after the US release of the iPad 2 for the second generation of Apple’s tablet to go on sale in Australia, with the device release date on Friday March 25.The bad news? We don’t yet have pricing details.

In the US, where the new iPad (complete with dual cameras, thinner design and a choice of black or white casing) goes on sale on March 11, a 16GB basic model will cost $US499, the 32GB version will be $US599 and the 64GB version will be $US699.The same options with 3G added will cost $US629, $US729 and $US829 respectively.

Despite near-parity with the US dollar, we’ll be surprised if the pricing is exactly the same in Australia.That said, since the pricing should have been set more recently than with the original iPad and the US pricing matches that of the original iPad, we might not see so much of the “Apple tax” applied.Meanwhile, pricing on the original iPad has been cut dramatically.~Gizmodo.com.au

Be sure to check out the new iPad 2 specs and leave a comment telling us what you think.

 

Outdated Article ~ An April 2011 release date of the new ipad 2 has been the rumor around town, if the normal trend for release rollouts by Apple continue, that would make it a May 2011 release in Australia.

Apple will begin production of the next-generation iPad a little later than originally planned, but production is set to ramp up beginning in late February for an early April 2011 launch, according to sources for DigiTimes.A delay in the firmware is said to have pushed back plans to begin building new iPads in January, but initial shipments from OEM Foxconn should be as high as 600,000 units as Apple stockpiles inventory for its introduction.

Component suppliers have been notified that production for the "iPad 2" should begin within 100 days, with initial shipments going to Apple as soon as the end of February.But don't expect the new iPad to be available before April 2011—just one year after the launch of the original models.

When the iPad first launched, constrained supply made the device hard to find for those who didn't pre-order.The unexpected popularity also caused Apple to delay the international launch by at least a month.Now that the iPad is available globally—and Apple keeps adding availability in new countries on a continuing basis—Apple will need to build significantly more inventory for the launch of the second generation device during the month of March.

A secondary Foxconn factory in Chengdu is still in pilot production and not yet ready to supplement Foxconn's Shenzen plant, which is expected to build most of the initial second-gen iPad supply.

The next generation iPad is widely rumored to come equipped with a FaceTime camera for video calling and a gyroscope for advanced motion control sensing, much like the iPhone 4.It is also expected to be thinner than the previous model and have an improved display, and may even include a built-in USB connector (though you can color us skeptical on that last point).

http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/12/apple-supplier-foxconn-ready-for-ipad-2-production-in-february-2011.ars

A Chinese paper, the Economic Daily News, is reporting that production has started on 7-inch iPads due for release in Q1 2011.The paper also details some of the new features to expect in the iPad successor, including front and rear facing cameras, and a USB port for connecting external devices.

The report also alluded to new screen and touch technologies but did not elaborate on what these technologies would be.Could it be that Apple has circumvented its issues with our fat fingers by employing a new and more sensitive touchscreen tech?

This is far from the first iPad 2 rumours we've heard, and the Q1 timing isn't too great a stretch of the imagination when you consider that Apple is likely to update the product line 12 months after it released the original.It should be noted also that the Economic Daily News was one of the first news sources to predict that Apple was developing a tablet at all.

http://www.cnet.com.au/7-inch-ipad-2-to-have-usb-port-339307590.htm

Apple iPad 2 is widely expected to be released in April, and there have have been a number of unconfirmed reports supposedly revealing the new features in this model.While all of the changes I've read about will be welcome, I don't expect them to be dramatic improvements.

Screen

Reports supposedly coming from parts suppliers say that Apple's next tablet is going to have a display with twice the resolution: 2048 × 1536, up from the current 1024 × 768.

There's a great deal of skepticism about these reports, mostly because such a move would significantly increase the cost of this product.Personally, I can't really see any need.A screen with twice the resolution as the iPad would be "gilding the lily" -- that is, making something that's already great unnecessarily better.

SD Card Slot and Video-Out Port

People who claim to have already gotten their hands on an outer casing for the iPad 2 say that it has a number of new openings...openings that are for an SD card slot and a video-out port. I'm willing to believe that the iPad 2 is going to to have these, but I don't think they are going to be as significant as they might appear at first blush.

You can already get adapters that let the original iPad use SD cards and connect to external monitors.It seems likely to me that Apple is just building these directly into the next version.

I don't believe that Apple's next tablet is going to give users full access to an SD card for storing any types of files -- instead, the slot will simply make it easier for users to transfer their photos from their card onto their tablet.

As it stands now, the video-out adapter has generally been a disappointment because it is supported by so few apps.Here's hoping Apple will bring more functionality to this in future versions of the iOS, but I'm not holding my breath.

Dual-Core Processor

There have been a number of unconfirmed reports indicating that Apple is going to use a dual-core processor in its future mobile devices. This includes the iPad 2 as well as the iPhone 5.

This would significantly increase the speed of the iPad...if it really needed it.This tablet already does everything almost instantaneously.In the short term, this is going to be another example of gilding the lily.

In the long long term, however, owners of this model are sure to be pleased with this chip.Each new version of the iOS has required more horsepower to run than the last.This generally means that last years' model has been fine, but performance on the device from two years ago can be a bit marginal.So iPad 2 owners are going to be happy to have that dual-core processor when iOS 7 comes out in 2013.

Dual Cameras and FaceTime

The iPad 2 is going to debut running iOS 4.3, an operating system that's already available to developers in beta form.This beta has made it clear that there are going to be camera and FaceTime apps in the iPad version, which means that Apple's next tablet is going to have front- and rear-facing cameras.

We've finally reached a feature that I undoubtedly feel is going to be a real enhancement.Since Skype began supporting the iOS, video conferencing has become a useful tool on the iPhone 4 and iPod touch 4. The same will be true on the iPad 2.

Better Support for Verizon

In addition to getting the iPhone, there's also going to be a version of Apple's Tablet that supports Verizon's cellular-wireless data network.

This is good news for current customers of this carrier.Heck, it's good news for everyone who is considering an iPad.Verizon has the most widespread network in the U.S.It gives great service to everywhere I've ever been, even in some fairly remote locations.It's certainly not the cheapest, but it's there when you need it.

Should You Upgrade? No

Based on what we know right now, the enhancements in the upcoming iPad 2 aren't going to be enough to make it worthwhile to put down another $500 or more for the latest model if you're happy with the current one.

I'm sure a bunch of "early adopter" types who simply must have the latest and greatest will eBay their iPad and get the new one, but the average user won't.

Of course, there are always exceptions.If you really want to start doing video conferencing with your family or co-workers, or absolutely need a version that supports Verizon's data network, then there's an upgrade in your near future.

But for most current iPad users, you should save your money until next year and buy the iPad 3, which will really be noticeably better.

Should You Wait? Yes

At this point, I wouldn't recommend anyone buy an iPad today.The new model is just a couple of months away -- we're expecting a launch in early April, and it's worth waiting that short amount of time for.The faster processor makes it worth the wait.

It's likely that the current iPad will start to become noticeably out-of-date by next year, while the iPad 2 probably won't reach that point until 2013.

- Article by www.tabletpcreview.com

Apple's iPad 2 might have a lot of new features allegedly coming to it—including a combined GSM/CDMA chipset, double the screen resolution, and a bevvy of upgraded hardware underneath. However, one thing that might not be making the trip down upgrade lane is the iPad 2's alleged front- and rear-facing cameras. They might be there, but they won't be anything near what iPhone users are used to playing with.

Sort-of.

The website 9to5Mac has dug deep into the latest iOS SDK and uncovered some listings that indicate that the iPad 2 will indeed have front- and rear-facing cameras. However, the latter—that which one would use to actually take pictures and videos of others—won't be the jacked-up, five-megapixel camera of the iPhone 4. Instead, Apple seems to be opting for a rear-facing camera that's closer to one megapixel in quality.

Mark Gurman at 9to5Mac speculates that the camera will actually be the same one previously used in Apple's fourth-generation iPod Touch—a 0.7-megapixel camera that would allow one to at least shoot native 720P video (a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels). And, if the camera follows suit with how it was used in said iPod Touch, one would be able to shoot pictures at a capped resolution of 960 by 720 pixels.

The front-facing camera on the iPad 2 is rumored to be a 0.3-megapixel VGA camera, just like what you'd find in the fourth-generation iPod Touch or iPhone 4. That'll be fine for front-facing pictures of yourself or, more importantly, FaceTime video chats with other Apple device owners.

Strangely, two different models of iPad were identified within the SDK—a "K94" device, identified as the iPad 2 by sources familiar with the SDK nomenclature, as well as a "K95" device which is yet unknown. It's likely a different version of the iPad 2, but there's no indication as to what the physical difference between the two models is as of yet.

- Article by www.crunchgear.com

What would you like to see integrated into the second generation ipad? What does it need that the original iPad doesn't have?  Comment below