Apple announced a new version of the iPad at an event today in San Francisco. The new hardware will have a retina display, a 5-megapixel rear camera, access to 4G LTE networks, and an A5 X chip with quad-core graphics.

"To this day, no one has yet matched that display technology on any mobile device," Phil Schiller said of the 2048x1536 display (that works out to 264 pixels per inch). The new A5X chip is meant to excel at graphics, and has four times the performance of NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra 3 chip, said Schiller.

While the iPad's new camera doesn't match the iPhone 4S' resolution, it will adopt some of the features of the phone's camera, including backside illumination, an IR filter, and built-in stabilization. The camera will also be able to record 1080p video.





The iPad isn't getting Siri yet, unfortunately, though Apple has added a microphone key to the keyboard that allows users to dictate text to the tablet. Supported languages will include English (British, Australian, and American), French, German, and Japanese.

As for the iPad's new ability to access 4G LTE, Schiller said the connection will top out at download speeds of 73Mbps. AT&T and Verizon will both carry the 4G LTE iPads in the US, along with Rogers, Bell, and Telus in Canada. Both varieties of iPads will also be "3G world-ready" for use on other networks, and will be able to be turned into personal WiFi hotspots if supported by the carrier.

Physically, the new iPad looks no different than the iPad 2 that was released last year, though it is about 0.6mm thicker, and the 4G iPad is about 50 grams heavier than the 3G iPad 2. The tablet retains its home button, despite some speculation that Apple might forego it in the new design, and will still come in either black or white. Despite the potential for the new screen and data speeds to drain batteries, Apple claims the new iPad will maintain a 10-hour battery life on WiFi or 3G, and 9 hours on 4G.

The new iPad also retains its pricing structure: $499, $599, and $699 for 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB WiFi models, and $629, $729, or $829 for the same hardware with 4G LTE access. Pre-orders will open today for the iPad's launch on March 16 in ten countries including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, and Germany, with 26 more countries to follow on March 23.

As for the iPad 2, Apple will continue to offer the older tablet at reduced prices, starting at $399 for a 16GB WiFi model and $529 for a 3G model.