Apple reveals new iPad tablet

Apple has announced it will be launching a new iPad, with bosses Phil Schiller and Tim Cook claiming they are redefining the tablet.

At the launch event in San Francisco - the first since the death of former CEO Steve Jobs -  Schiller said: "This is the best mobile display that has ever shipped. It is a real revolution."


Simply named iPad, it will be available in the UK from March 16 and will feature a high resolution Retina Display, similar to the one found on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. It brings sharper graphics and text to the 9.7 inch screen.

The new iPad will have more pixels than a 50 inch HD TV, which generally has a resolution of 1920x1080.

It will have a resolution of 2048x1536, with a whopping 3.1 million individual pixels squeezed in.

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To produce enough power for the Retina Display, the iPad will have a new Apple A5X processing chip inside featuring quad core graphics for four times the performance.

The new iPad will also feature an improved five megapixel camera on the back using the same optical technology as found in the iPhone 4S. It will also be able to shoot video in 1080p high definition.

Other new features include Voice Dictation and 4G next generation LTE wireless technology for faster surfing speeds. However, this will not be of any use in the UK until the mobile phone networks switch to the new standards, potentially as wider trials towards the end of this year and then during 2013.

Prices for the new iPad are expected to start at £399 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only version.

The iPad 2 will still be available at the reduced price of £329 for the basic version.

Apple also announced it was bringing out an iPad edition of its iPhoto software, giving users the chance to edit their pictures on the move. Like the Mac version, it will also let users organise their photos in different libraries.