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Apple iPad In-Depth Hardware Specifications
Brandon Davenport
The Apple's iPad is not an extreme leap in hardware advancements but there are a few predominant things that stand out, namely battery life, screen size, and the processor. We are going to take an In-Depth look at the hardware inside the iPad, going even deeper then the specs on Apple's iPad "Tech Specs" page and giving you a hard core look at the iPad.
Indulge in the specs after the break!
First, some quick Specs
CPU - custom 1GHz Apple "A4" chip developed by the P.A. Semi team
Screen - 9.7-inch capacitive touchscreen IPS LED display
Weight and size - Half-inch thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds
Storage - 16, 32, and 64GB sizes
Connectivity - 30-pin Dock connector, Bluetooth
Wireless - 802.11n WiFi, and 3G
Battery Life - 10 hours video, 1 month standby
Processor - 1GHz Apple "A4" chip
via | Toms Hardware
Apple didn't buy P.A. Semiconductor for nothing. First, the A4 runs at a 1GHz frequency, which by mobile CPU standards, is quite high. Considering that Qualcomm's 1GHz Snapdragon powers Google's Nexus One, the Apple A4 could power the next wave of super-smartphones. In fact, at its current spec and frequency, the Apple A4 can play back HD video for 10 hours before requiring a full battery charge.
Screen - 9.7-inch capacitive touchscreen LED
Everyone was speculating that it would be a 10 inch screen, but it was not, it was 9.7 inches, huzzah! Also it features a cool technology which is an "oleophobic coating" and it basically protects your beloved iPad from your sticky jelly hands and keeps it finger print free. Also it is at a very acceptable resolution of 1024-by-768-pixels and is at a unique 132 pixels per inch, which means easier reading because there is more detail per inch. The standard monitor is about 96ppi so this should make for a pleasurable viewing experience.
Wireless Connectivity - Bluetooth, Wireless and 3G
All I really need to tell you is it is a giant iPhone -- so it has the standard iStuff like Bluetooth, WiFi, and 3G, but did you know it had Assisted GPS and a Digital compass -- in a Tablet? This thing is really staying true to Apples way of taking a very interacate, complicated device and totally re-inventing it for humans. As for 3G it features an AT&T (boo!) Cancel at anytime (yay!) Data plan which is designed for the iPad. The pricing for that is $14.99 - 250MB plan, $29.99 - Unlimited plan, Free use of At&t WiFi hotspots, which is a reasonable pricing pricing model. This leaves one question, do we still need data on our iPhones once we have the iPad?
As for Bluetooth and WiFi there is really nothing new, but the Bluetooth features EDR technology which allows full backwards comparability with Bluetooth 1.2. Interesting enough, the 3G supports UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz) as well as GSM/EDGE (850, 900,1800, 1900 MHz) so there may be future plans to announce more carriers.
Sensors and Gizmos - It's science!
Of course there is going to be tons of sensors and trinkets for you to not understand what the hell they do, but you'll love them because its oh so high tech and Apple-ish -- here's what you need to know about all the sensors and Gizmos in the iPad.
The good 'ol accelerometer that has been in the iPhone since day one, is now in the iPad and if you don't quite know what it does, its the thingy that lets the iPad know when to rotate the screen when you flip it -- Read more
The iPad also features an ambient light sensor, which is also in the iPhone for the main reason of controlling the brightness and contrast of your screen according to the amount of ambient light where you are. It could also be used for other things, but we don't know what that is. -- Read More
The Digital Compass is back and its "better then ever" and it should be considering its on a screen the size of your dinner plate. The compass has another technical name, "Magnetometer" (which is more badass) and it is also used in the iPhone -- Read More
Size and weight - Small, Solid and light
We guessed pretty well on what the physical size of the tablet was going to be. Its just the right size to tote around the urban jungle, rest it on your thigh to read a book, but its still to big to fit in your pocket, unless you are a dragon who wares pants.
Height -- 9.56 inches (242.8 mm) Width -- 7.47 inches (189.7 mm) Depth -- 0.5 inch (13.4 mm) Weight -- 1.5 pounds (.68 kg) Wi-Fi model - 1.6 pounds (.73 kg) Wi-Fi + 3G model
Wrap-up - Cool device, Revolutionary hardware? Maybe.
Although this is a new device, it is still made up of old ideas (mostly hardware) and its not exciting, but it doesn't have to be because it is just going to work. Its a new device that is not "extreme" or "revolutionary" but it is going to work and it is going to go down in history as being one of Apples breakthrough devices, using old ideas. Its not always about making a revolutionary device, its about making a device that revolutionizes the market. I dig it.
