New iPad 4: Photos, Price, Release Dates (Live from Apple’s event)

James Ryan Jonas

Less than a year after the newest iPad — the iPad 3 — was launched, Apple unveiled again today the latest update to the world’s most popular tablet. Dubbed the iPad 4, Apple’s newest gadget is not much of a design or functionality overhaul compared to its predecessor but instead offers hardware and performance upgrades.

“This 4th generation iPad, it is a powerhouse,” says Apple Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tim Cook when introducing the tablet during Apple’s press event on October 23.

The iPad 4 sports an A6X processor, with a promised double CPU and graphics performance. It is relatively much faster, bringing its speed level at par with the iPhone 5. (See also: Cheapest iPhone 5: Price comparison by country)

It uses a dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n wifi and provides LTE connectivity.

iPad 4 now uses the Lightning bolt connector earlier seen in the iPhone 5, replacing the traditional 30-pin port in most Apple devices. Lightning connector accessories are available to support cameras, SD cards and VGA or HDMI digital video.

The back camera still sports 5MP with 1080p video capture while the front-facing FaceTime camera is upgraded to record 720p HD video.

Thew new iPad still sports retina display and battery life is also the same at 10 hours.

Pricing is retained, with the 16GB wifi version selling for $499 and the Wifi+3G model (with cellular data contract) at $629.

The iPad 4 will be available for sale in several countries starting November 2.

Primary Specs:

  • Display: 9.7 inches Retina diplay
  • Operating System: iOS 6.0
  • System on Chip (SoC) / Processor: A6X
  • Storage: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB
  • Back Camera: iSight 5MP camera with 1080p video
  • Front Camera: 1.2MP FaceTime camera with 720p HD video capture
  • Weight: 1.44 lb (650 g)
  • Colors: Black or White
Price:
  • 16 GB Wifi – $499
  • 32 GB Wifi – $599
  • 64 GB Wifi – $699
  • 16 GB Wifi + 3G – $629
  • 32 GB Wifi + 3G – $729
  • 64 GB Wifi + 3G – $829
Availability:
  • November 2 (Friday) in the following countries: US, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK
  • Online pre-orders start on October 26

With the iPad 4 launched in just a span of less than a year, several Facebook and Twitter users are complaining that Apple is too quick in replacing its own devices.

Let’s have a quick survey then:

[poll id=”9″]

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James Ryan Jonas teaches business management, investments, and entrepreneurship at the University of the Philippines (UP). He is also the Executive Director of UP Provident Fund Inc., managing and investing P3.2 Billion ($56.4 Million) worth of retirement funds on behalf of thousands of UP employees.