Apple's "New" IPad a Handful for Rivals

By Melissa Daniels | Wed Mar 07, 2012 1:21 pm

Apple unveiled the "new iPad," a 4G LTE device with an improved display and 5-megapixel camera, leaving rivals scrambling to catch up.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based company said the iPad, which kicks off in 10 countries, including the U.S., on March 16 and around two dozen others a week later, offers an ultra-clear display with blazing intensity and contrast, surging past competitors who've tried to improve on Apple's design.

The changes to the new iPad focus on functionality, from display to media capabilities. Apple rivals seeking to secure a part of the tablet market for themselves will be hard-pressed to find ways surpass the features, or offer the same quality at a better price. The new iPad dares competitors to keep up in the tablet market, while its LTE connectivity cements it as the first tablet to utilize the faster network.

"Until you see it, you can't understand how amazing it is," said Apple CEO Tim Cook at the event.

Despite speculation its name might be the "iPad HD," the new tablet will reset expectations on what a tablet should provide. Prices for Wi-Fi-enabled models are $500, $600 and $700 for 16-gigabyte, 32-gigabyte and 64-gigabyte models, while corresponding LTE models are available for $630, $730 and $830.

The iPad is a bold answer to the challenge of the growing tablet market, now teeming with lower-priced upstarts. Apple's next-generation tablet essentially raises the bar of what is possible in the tablet, setting even higher standards for consumers to desire and device makers to meet.

When Apple first introduced the iPad in 2010, it was groundbreaking territory for tablets and portable computing. Since then, competitors attempted to capitalize on tablets' entertainment functions while offering smaller models at lower price points to widen the tablet frenzy. The Kindle Fire, for example, crept into the market in 2011 and pushed its video capabilities at an affordable $200 price, taking handheld entertainment to a wider audience as it sold millions of devices by the end of the year.

But the features of the iPad surpass anything on the market. Established apps will be automatically tailored for high-res display, but developers can tailor their products to serve the iPad with graphics and interface that surpass those of console gaming.

Apple's Tim Cook boasted the iPad as the "poster child of the post-PC world," and sales numbers support that case. With 15.4 million iPads sold in the last quarter of 2011, Apple surpassed sales of all devices from companies like HP with 15.1 million, and Acer with 9.8 million.

Better video display and connectivity is the hallmark of the iPad, with an evolutionary Retina display doubling the dots per inch, and boasting a resolution of 2,048 by 1,536 pixels. With a whopping 264-pixels per inch, pixels are invisible to the naked eye even upon zoom. When tablet makers are battling for rights to high-res displays, Apple's new iPad will offer the best on the market.

The new screen also lends well to 4G LTE connectivity, which makes video streaming swifter and clearer than 3G or HSPA versions. Users are switching over to the new network as new devices hit the shelves, and Apple is positioning the third-generation iPad to capture those customers on the tablet market, too, with availability through Verizon as well as AT&T. Additionally, the iPads are equipped to be 3G-ready to accommodate LTE expansion, and can operate as a personal hotspot.

Updates to the iLife suite also bode well for the iPad's success. Programs like iMovie, iPhoto and Garage Band allow for production and editing in one place on the device, with an interface tailored to the iPad's size and function. The possibilities for creators and media seem endless, as the iPad offers instant documentation as well as polishing for distribution on the go.

As with past Apple releases, customers are likely to jump on pre-orders and wait in line to get their hands on the iPad, garnering strong profits for Apple in 2012.

While competitors failed to take away Apple's massive edge in the tablet market, manufacturers like Samsung offered smaller tablets at 7-inches. The iPad doesn't respond to potential for a smaller device, clocking in at 9.4-millimeters and weighing around 1.4-pounds.

In the industry that never stops moving, rival tablets will likely struggle as the third-generation iPad hits the shelves. While Apple caters to its core fan base, and reaches new customers with its groundbreaking releases, mobile and PC manufacturers alike will be racking up the research on how to keep up in a tablet market whose tempo is set by the tech giant.

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