Apple’s New iPad – Tech Thursday

The rumors have been swirling for months of a new iPad, and sure enough, we got one. And not only that, we got a new Apple TV to boot! For this story though, I want to focus on some of the updated features in the iPad. But the kicker, for me, was the 4G LTE capabilities that will be available with this new device.

The iPad is still the same size, just a little smaller than an 11-inch Macbook Air, and now has a Retina display with amazing graphics. The new display has a 2048-by-1536-pixel resolution at 264 pixels per inch. That is twice as much pixels as the previous version. So the graphics look rich and amazing and it's backed up by the new A5X processor, which delivers 4x better performance. Just looking at demo videos of the game Infinity Blade, which was a demo showing off the graphics on an iPhone 4 a few years ago, you can see the difference. If I was Nintendo, I would be a little- no, scratch that- a lot worried.

The camera in the new iPad is now on par with the iPhone 4, but it's still not an 8MP camera. But nothing to dismiss either. At 5 MP, the videos and pictures you take with it are still very good quality, and will look awesome on the new display. But some dismiss the camera because it's not the same resolution with the iPhone 4s'. I'm not that worried because I don't plan on taking my iPad with me to take pics of my kid. I'll use my iPhone, which fits in my pocket, for that.

4G is the cellular service that is said to be faster than your home WiFi router and is currently being rolled out in many markets by the cell carriers. Right now, 3G is still what many people are using, but 4G has come along enough to start being seen by some, even in the Capital Region. The fact that this is in the new iPad may start to get many to wonder if this means 4G will be in the next iPhone model. Till we see it on Apple's website confirming that, you'll just have to speculate.The new iPad however will be available March 16th in the U.S. and March 23rd, in most other countries.

Overall, the new iPad looks fantastic. I can't wait to play with one and try out all the features. It's most likely to be my next purchase from the house that Steve Jobs built. And just in case you want to watch the announcement, you can check it out on Apple's website.

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