New iPad: What we didn't get
The new iPad looks great, but which rumours didn't come true? And which features are missing? Let's take a look.
So, there you have it: a new iPad. The rumour mill went into overdrive in the run up to the announcement, but now we have all the details, how does it measure up to our expectations?
Firstly, the name foxed everyone. The device was widely expected to be named iPad 3, then iPad 2S to reflect the minor spec upgrade, then recently iPad HD was being touted to sell the retina display. But instead Apple went with simply 'new iPad'. Obviously its marketing team has gone to the Ronseal school of product naming.
There was also word the new iPad would come packing an 8-megapixel camera, though we debunked that one quite early on. Apple did boost the imaging skills though, as hoped, upping the camera to 5 megapixels and making it record in 1080p HD, on a par with the iPhone 4S. But 8 megapixels would've been overkill.
The processor was widely expected to be the A6, though instead Apple introduced the A5X, which was also rumoured. But it should handle games and movies with aplomb, seeing as it's rocking "quad-core graphics", although we don't exactly know what that means as yet.
Siri was expected to make its debut on iPad, but while we got a voice dictation mode, the voice-activated personal assistant is conspicuous by its absence.
There was also talk of a 3D screen on the new iPad, but we always knew that one was a little far-fetched. Apple specialises in making tried and tested tech more consumer-friendly, rather than adding gimmicks to its products. That 8-inch model didn't work out either, though we could see it towards the end of the year.
So that's what we didn't get, but what was as predicted? The retina display leaked, and was always a dead cert. A new iOS was also expected, and iOS 5.1 brings new features like a redesigned Camera app, the ability to delete snaps from Photo Stream, and lets your device work as a personal Wi-Fi hotspot. The iPad 2 is also staying on sale and dropping in price, as expected.
Apple TV was also updated as we thought, though Apple didn't announce plans for its television service. Maybe it'll do that along with its standalone TV set.
How do you think the new iPad looks? Let me know in the comments below, or on our Facebook page.