Apple to ‘take tablets to a whole new level’

Technology giant Apple unveiled a new iPad that it said would take tablet computers to “a whole new level”.

The computer will have higher resolution than ever before, a video recorder and a five-megapixel camera with auto focus and auto exposure.

It will also have “voice dictation” which allows people to dictate straight to their computer rather than type.

Apple said the “retina display”, which uses 3.1m pixels on the 9.7in display screen, would have “the highest resolution display ever on a mobile device”.

Another feature is a high-speed 4G wireless network which will allow users to download pictures and films quicker than before.

Speaking via a video link from California, the company’s chief executive Tim Cook said: “It is amazing, we’re taking it to a whole new level.”

The tablet will go on sale in Britain on Mar 16 for between £399 and £659 (€478 to €790).

Mr Cook said: “We think that iPad is the poster child of the post-PC world. The momentum behind iPad has been incredible and surprised nearly everyone.”

The new iPad model also boasts a powerful quad-core processor, eye-grabbing resolution on par with that of an iPhone 4S, and the ability to connect to the latest 4G telecom networks that move data faster than their predecessors.

Mr Cook said iPad sales topped those of any personal computer maker during the final three months of last year.

“We have redefined once again the category Apple created just two years ago with the original iPad,” he said in San Francisco.

The new iPad will go on sale on Mar 16 in Canada, France, Germany, and the US at the same price as the previous models.

In a bid to cater to budget- conscious shoppers, Apple will sell a 16GB version of the iPad 2 at a reduced price.

The new iPad screen features 264 pixels per inch in what was billed as the best display ever on a mobile device, while Apple marketing executive Philip Schiller said the latest model has the same 10-hour battery life as its predecessor, with the span cut by about an hour with constant use of high-performing 4G telecom networks.

The third-generation iPad weighs 1.4lbs (635g) and is 9.4mm thick, slightly heavier and slightly thicker than the previous model.

Apple showed off an enhanced suite of iPad applications for tasks from movie editing to making music or managing one’s life.

A new iPhoto application turns the iPad into a slick tool for editing pictures with simple touches or automated features.

The California-based gadget- maker on Wednesday also released an updated version of the Apple TV box used to stream video content from the internet to high-definition TV sets.

The new Apple TV box, which Apple said features a streamlined new user interface, will sell for the same $99 price as the previous model.

Apple released the first version of Apple TV in 2007 but it has never really caught on with the public.