Ladies and gentlemen, we’re here with the iPad 3 press event live blog, as covered via Macworld.
So, without further ado, let’s get to it and see what’s happening:
– The music is playing, people are filing in and the event should begin at 10 A.M. PST/1 P.M. EST.
– Apple CEO Tim Cook takes the stage and thanks everyone for coming on out. Begins to discuss the idea of a post-PC world and the devices you carry around with you on a daily basis.
– States that the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch are post-PC devices and that last year, Apple sold 172 million post-PC devices, which accounted for 76% of the company’s revenue.
– Apple will add Japanese language support to Siri as part of iOS 5.1, which is available today and will be rolled out in Japan over the next few weeks.
– A new Apple TV device is now being unveiled.
– This is nifty: Movies and TV shows purchased/rented in the iTunes Store will now support 1080p.
– Photo Stream appears to be due for an update and Tim Cook is demonstrating how a picture taken with an iPhone is automatically synced over to an Apple TV in the background at full 1080p.
– Tim Cook is now beginning to discuss the iPad, its effect and the company’s sales numbers for the tablet.
– Building the suspense on the iPad 3…Barnum would be proud.
– “Until you see it, you can’t understand how amazing it is.”
– The iPad 3’s new screen resolution: 2048 x 1536 pixels. Do some nerd math and this is over 3.1 million pixels to gaze upon.
– Phil Schiller has declared that the 2048 x 1536 pixel display is only the first new feature, which is met with applause.
– The camera has been upgraded and the front of the device will now feature a FaceTime camera, complete with auto face detection, auto exposure lock, auto focus lock and HD video recording now at 1080p resolution.
– Apple has added a voice dictation feature to the iPad 3.
– The new interface features a microphone icon at the bottom of the screen (a la the iPhone 4S) that allows the user to tap and begin speaking.
– Siri will be available on the iPad 3 and the device currently supports U.S., British, Australian English, French, German, and Japanese languages.
– It was expected but you’ll like it: The iPad 3 features 4G LTE with EV-DO support and a maximum downlink of 3.1Mbps while also supporting HSPA (with a maximum downlink of 7.2 Mbps).
– If your carrier supports it, you can turn your iPad 3 into a hotspot and allow up to five users to connect at once.
– Faster processor time: The iPad 3 will use the A5X quad-core chip.
– Apple is citing 10 hours of battery life (nine hours with 4G activated).
– The new iPad is now 9.44mm thick and weighs 1.4 pounds.
– The iPad 3 will be available on March 16 and is priced at US$499 for 16GB, US$599 for 32GB, US$699 for 64GB. And US$629, US$729, and US$829 for 4G (these are the same prices as the iPad 2).
– The iPad 3 will be available in the U.S., Canada, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Hong Kong, and more. One week later, 25 more countries.
– From what’s being said, the new resolutions of the iPad 3 look absolutely beautiful.
– Garage Band and iMovie for the iOS have been updated, will remain at their US49.99 price points.
– Ok, this is interesting: The new GarageBand adds smart strings joins smart guitars, smart keyboards, smart drums and a Note Editor. The app can sync in with iCloud to share data and a new “Jam Session” feature allows four iPads to play together to create a new song over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
– The updated GarageBand is available today as a free update for current owners and US$4.99 for new users.
– The updated iMovie for iOS allows users to easily create movie trailers as needed (select styles, templates, etc). The new version is a free update for current owners of US$4.99 for new users.
– Apple is introducing iPhoto for iOS, the current speech highlighting sharing tools, editing tools, brushes, support for both left-handed and right-handed users, etc.
– Once edited in iPhoto for iOS, photos can be shared via Twitter, Flickr and Facebook.
– Photos can be shared to your iCloud and then viewed by anyone with a web browser.
– iPhoto for iOS is available for US$4.99 starting today.
– Apple WILL keep the iPad 2 in stock, but drop its starting price down to US$399.
And that about wraps it up. Stay tuned for additional details as they become available and thanks for reading!