We knew it was coming. There were rumours and guesses and speculation since mid-2011. But the iPad 3 is here, and it’s almost exactly what we were expecting — and hoping for. And yes, it does have a home button (despite what the picture above may misconstrue).
The iPad 3 is roughly the same size as the second version, but has a 2048×1536 pixel resolution. As Phil Schiller said, “That’s 3.1 million pixels. The most ever in a mobile device.” Despite having a pixel density of 264ppi, Apple is comfortable calling it a Retina Display because one typically holds a tablet further away from his or her face than a smartphone. The iPad is gauged as Retina by holding it 15-inches from the face, whereas the iPhone 4 is typically held 10-inches or less from the face. And it’s the perception of not being able to see the individual pixels that’s most important.
In terms of internal specs, we’re looking at the rumoured A5X SoC with quad-core graphics. This is a higher-clocked custom-built A5 Cortex A9 ARM-based processor, but instead of a PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU we have a SGX543MP4+, which is the same GPU with double the cores.
We’re also looking at brand new cameras — dubbed iSight cameras — with a higher-resolution front-facing camera and an autofocus backside-illuminated sensor 5MP shooter on the back. It features similar technology to the iPhone 4S, though fewer pixels: face detection and a hybrid IR sensor. The back camera can also shoot 1080p video with image stabilization.
There doesn’t seem to be Siri implementation anywhere, but Apple is adding voice dictation to the mix. There will be a new microphone button on the bottom row of the keyboard.
And there is 4G LTE support! LTE can go up to 73Mbps, but 3G maxes out at 21Mbps for more rural markets. Apple has confirmed that Rogers, Telus and Bell will be launch partners for LTE in Canada.
Apple is claiming 10 hours of battery life on a single charge, and 9 hours on LTE, which is pretty incredible. The new device is 9.4mm thick and 1.4lbs, slightly thicker and heavier than the previous version.
The iPad is going to be available in Canada on March 16th starting at $519 for the 16GB WiFi model. The prices are the same as the previous version, going all the way up to $849 for the 64GB 4G version. The iPad 2 will continue to be sold, and all models will be heavily discounted. As told you, existing WiFi + 3G models have been reduced by $150, and the iPad 2 WiFi models will each sell for a $100 discount.
More info to come…
Liveblog source: Engadget
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