Apple iPad 2 | experience it all.

The next generation iPad is nearly here. Tomorrow, March 11 it arrives in stores. Starting at 5PM local time, all 236 Apple retail stores in the US, AT&T stores, retailers like Best Buy, Target, Verizon Wireless, and Walmart and select Apple Authorized Resellers will unleash iPad 2 unto the world. Starting at 1AM Pacific Time customers will be able to order the tablet online through the Apple Store. As you know, the iPad ranges in price from $499 to $829 determined by storage capacity (16, 32, 64GB) and connectivity (WiFi, WiFi + 3G with AT&T or Verizon). Black and white models will be available at launch. For those of you who have patiently been waiting for updated iPad hardware, today is the day to reward yourself and celebrate.

And here’s a nice surprise. Along with iOS 4.3, Apple has let loose the new iPad versions of GarageBand and iMovie one day early. They’re both available for download at the App Store for five bucks each.

Official PR after the break. Continue reading iPad 2 on sale tomorrow, here’s when & where to get it →

On Wednesday Apple revealed the next generation iPad. The iPad 2 is very much an evolutionary iterative device. It is faster, lighter, and thinner than its predecessor, packs back and front-facing cameras, and comes preloaded with a new version of iOS. Take my hand and let’s discover everything that makes iPad 2 the next extraordinary tablet, or as Steve Jobs calls it the “third blockbuster post-PC product” joining the iPod and iPhone.

Specs are important to you, hm? Then let’s start there. iPad 2 is faster. It features Apple’s new 1GHz dual-core A5 processor that is up to 2X faster than the A4; it boasts up to 9X faster graphics and somehow still maintains the same low power as the A4. Battery life remains the same at 10 hours with over a month of standby. iPad 2 is lighter and thinner. It is a mere 8.8mm thick, that’s 33% thinner than the original iPad (13.4mm). In fact, it is even thinner than iPhone 4 (9.3mm). It also lost some weight dropping from 1.5 to 1.3 pounds. On the front you’ll find a VGA camera that takes pictures and records video at 30fps; the camera around back shoots video in 720p HD also at 30fps and can do 5x digital zoom. The built-in gyroscope will assist the device in locating itself in space and orientation; higher precision in gaming will result. Last, Apple has hooked up with AT&T and Verizon to bring 3G data to the tablet.

iPad 2 is coming sooner than you think. It will be made available for purchasing March 11 in two color options: black and white (thankfully the latter ships “from day one”, teehee). Pricing remains the same, too; iPad 2 will come in various capacities (16, 32, 64GB) and models (WiFi, WiFi + 3G) starting at $499. After releasing on the 11th in the U.S., the new iPad will make its way to an additional 26 countries (including Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, and the UK) on March 25.

Learn all about iPad 2’s accessories, iOS 4.3, and new apps after the break. Continue reading iPad 2 coming March 11: faster, lighter, thinner w/ iOS 4.3 & cameras →