After a period of much anticipation, Apple followed through with the unveiling of its tablet device, simply called "iPad". The device features a 9.7-inch capacitive IPS display, a custom 1GHz Apple A4 chip, 10-hours of battery life with a month of standby, and it weighs 1.5lbs.

Units will ship in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB capacities. There are also 3G-enabled SKUs in the same capacities that comes with two new data plans from AT&T: 250MB for $14.99 and unlimited for $29.99 per month – contract free. All iPads are unlocked and come with a GSM micro-SIM.


Other details revealed include 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, an accelerometer and compass, a 30-pin Dock connector, a speaker and a mic. The iPad can run iPhone apps in a window with their native pixel ratio or they can be run at fullscreen. Apple has also rolled out a new iPhone OS SDK today, allowing developers to make apps specifically for the tablet.


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Apple has reportedly tweaked at least some of the included apps to take advantage of the additional horsepower and screen real estate. For instance, iTunes is said to include its media store and the software resembles a hybrid between the desktop and iPhone versions, the calendar has larger text and buttons, and YouTube supports HD video.

The company also showed off a version of its iWork productivity suite with touchscreen capabilities. The package includes Keynote, Pages, and Numbers – Apple's renditions of PowerPoint, Word, and Excel. Each can be downloaded from the App Store for $10.


Prices start at $499 for a 16GB iPad, 32GB runs $599, and 64GB will set you back $699. Meanwhile, 3G-enabled models will cost $629, $729, and $829, respectively. Wi-Fi-only units will ship in 60 days, and their 3G counterparts will land in 90.