Apple Inc. pulled back the curtains on the third generation of its tablet renaissance-inspiring iPad on Wednesday at a special event in San Francisco.
The new device includes many of the features which have long been rumoured to be in the works, including a high-resolution screen and the ability to connect to advanced 4G cellular networks. All three major Canadian wireless carriers — BCE Inc.’s Bell Canada unit, Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. — will be offering the new iPad for the same price as the iPad 2 starting March 16.
Voice dictation is also coming to the iPad through a new key on the touchscreen keyboard. However, the feature appears to be scaled down from the voice activated “Siri” digital assistant Apple introduced with the iPhone 4Slast October.
Other new iPad features include an iSight camera capable of recording high-definition (1080p) video and capturing 5-megapixel still images. Apple said the A5X processor used to power the new iPad is “twice as fast” and offers “four times the performance” as the Tegra 3 chip found in the iPad 2.
To help clear iPad 2 inventory, Apple also announced a US$100 discount on iPad 2 models. Canadian iPad 2 pricing now starts at $419 for the WiFi-only 16GB models.
By introducing a third iteration of the iPad while rival products remain at the first-generation stage represents an attempt by Apple to maintain its dominance in the increasingly cutthroat mobile market. Manyexisting iPad owners are expected to buy the new version in addition to first-time tablet buyers.
More than 55 million iPads have been purchased around the world since the device was launched less than two years ago. The popularity of iOS devices, of which Apple has sold 315 million including iPhones and iPods, has already started eating into sales of the company’s core Mac computer line thoughApple is well known as a company unafraid to eat its young.
Apple also announced the latest version of its iOS operating system at the event, which is available immediately as a software update, and a new version of its Apple TV set-top box capable of supporting 1080p-level resolutions.
