It’s a year since Apple first brought out the iPad and convinced us to part with a sizable chunk of our hard-earned dosh in order to own the then most ‘revolutionary’ piece of technology that Apple had ever made. This Friday sees the launch of iPad 2, a machine which according to Apple, blows its predecessor out of the water. That’s it then everyone, take your iPads down to the pawn brokers and dig deep in those pockets, it’s time to go and worship at the Apple altar again.
So what makes the iPad 2 so special? The main selling point seems to be that is it thinner and lighter than the original. According to Apple’s website it is 33% thinner and 15% lighter which means it has lost just 80g in weight which is surely not going to make a massive amount of difference to your daily baggage.
iPad 2 also sports not one but two cameras, sticking two fingers up at anyone who grumbled about the lack of one the first time around. The pair of cameras allow for a special ‘FaceTime, feature which enables you to film both your face and your surroundings while you chat to your friends. I’m not sure what interest there can be in seeing John Doe picking his nose opposite you on the 8am train but nevertheless, the function is there if you need it.
Apple have also come up with something extra for you to spend your money on, Smart Covers! Having missed a trick here with the original model, Apple have come up with a magnetic cover which will protect your screen at the same time as sending it into ‘sleep’ mode once it is clipped on. The Smart Cover also folds up into a stand for watching movies and reading long emails on trains etc. (why not just use your laptop?). Investing in a Smart Cover will set you back another £30, unless you want a super-slick leather one, in which case its £50. Check out this video review from Techradar in which you can see a man almost salivating over what is essentially a piece of foldy plastic…
Other perks of the new tablet include the same ten-hour battery life, HD video recording, a dual-core A5 chip which means you can potentially do twice the work at once and 9x faster graphics performance which should keep the gamers amongst you happy.
Coincidentally, Apple have decided to release the iPad 2 just three weeks after Motorola released their first tablet contender ‘Xoom’, parading their authority on technology and effortlessly gunning down any whiff of competition once again. Online orders will open at 1am on Friday morning and Apple Stores will start selling at the rather strange time of 5pm. An iPad 2 will set you back anything from £399 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only model, to £659 for a 64GB Wi-Fi and 3G edition. In this supposed age of austerity Apple won’t be holding back anytime soon, they make the rules and set the bench marks for keeping up with the latest technology for those who can afford it.
Jessica Hazel
Writer, blogger and vintage trader.
Having decided against buying the iPad 1 last time round, I think this one might be too much to resist! The “Smart Cover” is another beautiful example of product design from Apple and we like, a lot!