Tech Watch: iPad & Apple TV

With its typical Apple event fanfare, the secretive tech mogul (and world’s most valuable company) launched its newest must-have devices this afternoon: an updated 4G iPad and the undated Apple TV set top device (read: Apple TiVo)

Speculation in recent weeks has ranged from projection devices to an announcement of a much-rumored Apple-built television set (said to be foreshadowed in Walter Isaacson’s biography of late co-founder Steve Jobs). The air cleared just over a week ago as the media invites went out featuring an iPad image and the tagline: “We have something you really have to see.” Here’s our breakdown of the updates:

Product: The new iPad (creative, yes? – we'll still call it the iPad 3, just saying)

Wi-Fi: 16GB ($499), 32GB ($599), 64GB ($699)

Wi-Fi + 4G LTE: 16GB ($629), 32GB ($729), 64GB ($829) - (upgraded from 3G)

Display Quality: High-resolution Retina (2048-by-1536-pixels at 264 ppi) – (same resolution as iPhone 4S)

Chip: A5X (approximately 4 times faster than the iPad 2)

Colors: Black + White

US Carriers: AT&T + Verizon

Bluetooth: 4.0 (upgraded from 2.1)

iSight (back) camera: 5MP

• Auto focus, tap to focus,
• Video recording HD (1080p) – (upgraded from 720p)
• Video stabilizing (new feature)

FaceTime (front) camera: VGA quality (0.3MP is still not great though)

Verdict: It looks nice, performs faster, and shoots higher quality; but still not worth ditching your laptop for at these prices.

To check out the Apple TV update, click below.