[Mobilepartners] iPad 2 Update, with Availability this Friday

[Justin Fleming]

Hi everyone,

Just a few quick updates on the iPad 2, which was announced last Wednesday and will be available starting this Friday.

According to Apple, the new iPad 2 will include a new dual-core A5 processor which is up to twice as fast and has up to nine times better graphics performance than the previous generation iPad, adds front and rear-facing cameras, and will be 33% thinner and 15% lighter than before.  Additionally, the iPad 2 will continue to have the same 10 hour battery life, 16/32/64 GB storage capacities, and price points as the original iPad.  More detailed specs can be found here<http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/>, and pricing can be found here<http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_ipad/family/ipad/start/select?mco=MjEzNTIwNzE>.  Additionally, there will be two different Wi-Fi + 3G models of the iPad, one with integrated 3G for AT&T and the other with integrated 3G for Verizon.  Although this update, consisting primarily of performance and design improvements, will be unlikely to compel existing iPad users to upgrade to a new device so soon, these changes should make the iPad more enticing to new tablet customers going forward, as well as making the iPad's specs comparable to a number of competing tablets being released this Spring and Summer, such as the Xoom, PlayBook, and TouchPad.

Pricing for the iPad's 3G data plans vary depending on the carrier and allotted monthly bandwidth, listed below:

AT&T (pre-paid or post-paid): $14.99 for 250 MB, or $25 for 2 GB
Verizon (pre-paid): $20 for 1 GB, $35 for 3 GB, $50 for 5 GB, or $80 for 10 GB

Apple's availability for the product will begin this Friday, March 11th, with online ordering beginning at 12:01 AM and retail availability at Apple Stores (and at this time, Best Buy as well) beginning at 5 PM.  As for availability from the carriers, the iPad 2 should be available to order through the Verizon portals on launch day, with AT&T making the product available for order shortly thereafter.  For more information about Verizon and AT&T at MIT and to get access to their ordering portals, please visit the following pages: Verizon at MIT<http://ist.mit.edu/services/telephony/verizon>, AT&T at MIT<http://ist.mit.edu/services/telephony/att>

For more on the iPad 2, please visit http://www.apple.com/ipad/.  For IS&T's iPad documentation, please check out the iPad<http://kb.mit.edu/confluence/x/g4Rh> on the Mobile Device Ninja<http://kb.mit.edu/confluence/x/XQdS> on Hermes.  For any other iPad-related questions, please contact mobile-help at mit.edu<mailto:mobile-help at mit.edu>.

Thanks,
~ Justin
____________
Justin Fleming
Mobile Devices | Service Desk
Information Services & Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Office: N42-250i
Phone: 617.253.0157
Email: jtflem at mit.edu<mailto:jtflem at mit.edu>

Important: IS&T staff will never ask you for your password, nor will MIT send you email requesting your password information.  Please continue to ignore any email messages that claim to require you to provide such information.
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