Live blog: Apple iPad 2
We bring you all the news as it happens from the launch of Apple's iPad 2.
![Apple iPad 2 launch](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4W8AGrJnzAxKR6tGvJFFS4-320-80.jpg)
Make sure you refresh so you get all the latest news
19:24 One more thing - head here for all the news from Apple's event.
19:16 And that is it (no 'one more thing'?!).
So, we've got a thinner, lighter and faster iPad with some cameras, as well as iOS 4.3 with some new apps.
The iPad 2 looks like a fine piece of work, but some may not be as blown away as Steve Jobs appeared to be. And there may even be another iteration of the iPad in the coming months.
No doubt there will be some heated debate about whether the device will be a game changer as Apple says it is.
Nevertheless, I'm sure everyone can agree it was great to see Jobs looking good.
Get the ITPro. daily newsletter
Receive our latest news, industry updates, featured resources and more. Sign up today to receive our FREE report on AI cyber crime & security - newly updated for 2024.
Anyway - thanks for tuning in and share your iPad 2 reactions with us over the coming days, weeks and months.
19:15 Jobs has thanked plenty of people, including the creators, as well as families and friends.
19:13 Jobs says these post-PC devices need to be easier to use and more intuitive than PCs today. Hints other manufacturers are thinking about things in the wrong way - i.e. the non-Apple way.
19:08 Jonathan Ive featuring in the wrapping up video. Is he really leaving? Doesn't look so likely now.
One more thing, surely?
19:06 And we're back to that refrain: 2011 is the year of the iPad 2, says Jobs.
Is there something more coming?
19:05 Our reviews chief Alan is wondering: Will Apple eat increased VAT on iPad 2 UK pricing or pass it on to the UK purchaser?
Steve Jobs is "blown away" by the stuff coming out.
19:01 Apple iPad 2 website has gone live: http://www.apple.com/ipad/
18:57 Lots of neat stuff for GarageBand - pressure sensitivity drums and pianos in particular. Good out of hours stuff to leave the working day behind you.
18:54 GarageBand on iPad has over 250 loops to play around with, loads of touch instruments and is compatible with the Mac version.
18:50 GarageBand on the iPad - will be music to the ears (LOL) of both songwriters and podcasters alike. Happy about this.
18:47 iMovie for iPad has precision editing for fine grained video editing too.
Just to clear up I said the device was 2.33 per cent thinner earlier - meant 33 per cent! No biggie. Sorry Steve...
18:43 iOS 4.3 will be available from 11 March.
It'll also include iMovie video editing and Jobs thinks Apple may be the world's biggest supplier of video editing software soon enough.
iMovie for iPad features multi-tracking audio recording and will allow users to upload content to video sharing sites in HD. Works on iPhone as well.
18:40 You'll be able to use FaceTime between various Apple devices. Demo time!
18:39 Ooh Photo Booth on iPad so you can make your face look silly. Not massively important.
The addition of FaceTime video conferencing is, however, a little more important, especially for us business users.
18:37 iOS 4.3 allows iPad switch to be used for mute or rotation lock. Unlike the mute only option now.
18:35 So with iOS 4.3 we've got some improved Safari performance, with JavaScript twice as fast. Scott Forestall, Apple VP talking us through it all.
18:33 Time for some iOS 4.3...
18:32 These Smart Covers look awesome - they're apparently made of the same stuff as spacesuits and it cleans the screen every time you close it.
18:30 Now we've got Smart Covers - flexible screen covers rather than full case - doesn't add weight or bulk like other cases. iPad 2 smart covers auto wakes and sleeps iPad as it is removed.
18:28 Some cool features - HDMI video out, through a dock accessory cable and this will work with all apps. You can charge the iPad whilst watching stuff on the telly.
18:26 And we have a UK launch date - 25 March in the UK and most of the EU. The US gets it a little sooner on 11 March. That's so close!
18:25 "I think 2011 will be the year of iPad 2," says Jobs. No surprises again.
18:24 Same battery life and same pricing in the US. Good to hear.
18:23 The iPad 2 is actually thinner than the iPhone 4 and weighs in at 0.2 pounds lighter than the original. Oh and it comes in black and white. Sexy stuff.
White one will ship from day one as well.
18:20 So we've got an all new design, dual-core A5 chip, up to 2x faster CPU, graphics supposed to be nine times better as well as front and rear cameras.
It's 33 per cent thinner than the original as well. Looks like our predictions are coming true then.
18:19 Return of the Jobs - he's hinting other tablets have been copycats. And now it's time to hear about the iPad 2 - it's been confirmed. No surprise there then.
18:17 Ooh a little bit of Marc Benioff love. I was at Salesforce's Dreamforce event last year where he had an iPad hidden down his trousers for the first half of a keynote. Nice.
18:14 Talk about the iPad being a post-PC device - Apple trying to redefine the entire industry yet again then.
18:12 Jobs has a little dig at Samsung before moving onto a video about why 2010 was the year of the iPad. Ooh shiny stuff time...
18:11 There are now around 65,000 iPad specific apps as well and competitors have been flummoxed at the device's success, Jobs adds.
18:10 A whopping 15 million iPads sold in 2010 and Apple has over 90 per cent market share, Jobs continues.
18:08 Jobs saying people laughed at Apple when iPad came out, but it's turned out to be magical.
18:06 Looks like we've got an iBooks update first - Random House to bring 17,000 ebooks to the platform. Good news for bookworms out there like myself.
18:05 Jobs says he didn't want to miss the event - genuinely excited now.
18:03 Steve Jobs on stage at the San Francisco event. Plenty of applause and cheers going around. Great stuff.
18:01 Potential Jobs successor Jonny Ive has been spotted in the front row in San Francisco. Interesting.
17:57 Minutes away now... is it going to be worth the buzz? Usually Apple don't disappoint but this could easily be different given the iPad 3 rumours.
17:48 Apple will want to really impress tonight, especially considering the competition it faces in the tablet market this year from the likes of Samsung, Motorola, HP, HTC and RIM.
Here's what Ovum analyst Adam Leach had to say earlier: "Devices based on Google's platforms will only overtake those based on Apple's platformby 2015, when we forecast 36 per cent and 35 per cent market shares respectively, of a total market with shipments of approximately 150 million units in 2015."
So, Google and Apple dominance... big surprise.
17:40 We could also be set to see plenty of other Apple news this evening. Rumours about iOS 5 have been bouncing about and some stuff on Apple TV could appear.
17:36 There have been plenty of suggestions this will just be a refresh of the original iPad and that the iPad 3 will be released in the not too distant future.
17:34 So, what to expect? Most likely a camera, a slimmer design, some extra power, a retina display like the iPhone 4, more memory, USB connectivity? Who knows... all just rumours for now.
17:32 As an iPad owner myself I'm a little excited about this... although a bit depressed that my device is now out of date. Just the way Apple rolls now though.
17:30 There's been plenty of buzz around what to expect and rumours Steve Jobs will make an appearance. Nothing from Apple directly, of course.
17:28 Hello everyone. Staff Writer Tom Brewster here to bring you all the news from tonight's special Apple event (i.e. the introduction of the iPad 2) as it happens.
Tom Brewster is currently an associate editor at Forbes and an award-winning journalist who covers cyber security, surveillance, and privacy. Starting his career at ITPro as a staff writer and working up to a senior staff writer role, Tom has been covering the tech industry for more than ten years and is considered one of the leading journalists in his specialism.
He is a proud alum of the University of Sheffield where he secured an undergraduate degree in English Literature before undertaking a certification from General Assembly in web development.
HPE’s ‘one-click AI solution’ for private cloud cuts project times from months to a ‘single moment’
Why are so many AI projects destined for failure? Inexperienced staff, poor planning, and a shoehorned approach to agile development are all stifling innovation
So you lost your job at Klarna to AI – at least your former coworkers get a pay rise
Resources
Get the ITPro. daily newsletter
Receive our latest news, industry updates, featured resources and more. Sign up today to receive our FREE report on AI cyber crime & security - newly updated for 2024.