iPad 2 officially unveiled; WiFi version to be available on March 11 ~ ScienceTech

Steve jobs finally unveiled Most anticipated and awaited tablet Apple iPad 2, the device was announced at the ipad 2 event at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.

Recently CEO Steve Jobs has been on medical leave, but surprisingly Steve managed to participate the event to uncover the Apple iPad 2, saying, “We’ve been working on this product for a while now and I just didn’t want to miss today.” let’s look at what is under the hood.

The Apple iPad 2 is powered with a mighty dual-core A5 chipset clocked at 1.2GHz and with a 33% thinner body. The new tablet will also feature HDMI output capable of 1080p — which will set you back $39 for the requisite dongle. There’s an enlarged speaker grille on the back, as expected, though resolution has not budged from the original iPad’s 1024 x 768.

Steve Jobs made sure to underline that the second-gen iPad will be the first dual-core tablet to ship “in volume” – so much for the rumors about component shortages, Performance-wise the A5 chip will bring double the processing speed of the original iPad and up to 9 times the graphical power.

It’s even thinner than the iPhone 4 and it will weigh 1.3 pounds now. We know what you are all wondering now – the release date! No need to worry - March 11th is the official release date for the U.S. market, while another 26 countries will get it on March 25th.

Every iPad is built with advanced 802.11n wireless technology. It automatically finds Wi-Fi networks, which you can join with a few taps. iPad is also available with 3G connectivity on either AT&T or Verizon Wireless networks. So if you’re somewhere without Wi-Fi, such as outdoors on a camping trip or on the road, you can still surf the web, check email, or get directions.

Eager to know pricing of the device?, iPad 2 has extremely competitive pricing you just go through the press release :

iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available on March 11 for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model, $699 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G compatible with the Verizon network will be available in the US only for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 will be sold in the US through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iMovie and GarageBand for iPad apps will be available on March 11 for $4.99 each from the App Store on iPad or www.itunes.com/appstore.