Apple iPad HD launch blog

07 March 2012

Full pre-launch coverage and live links for the Apple iPad 3/HD launch

Apple's live launch of the iPad HD kicks off at 6pm UK time, and millions of people worldwide will be frantically clicking 'refresh' on their broswers to get the full lowdown.

You can watch the launch event live on UStream, and the full launch will be on Apple's Events website from a few hours afterwards. We'll be bringing you a full hands-on with the new kit either tonight or tomorrow morning, so keep checking back!

WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING

We're fairly sure that the iPad HD will be landing on 16 March, and we're expecting the biggest feature to be the 2048x1536-pixel resolution Retina display, a supremely crisp HD screen for enjoying movies, web browsing and of course games.

To run those games you'll need a powerful CPU/GPU, but will Apple opt for a quad-core processor? We reckon dual-core is more likely, but it'll certainly need a bigger battery to cope with the colourful screen and extra power. We're also hoping for a similar price to the iPad 2.

LIVE UPDATES

18.33 - 5MP camera on rear with an IR filter, same as the iPhone 4S, and HD FaceTime too. And 4G LTE confirmed. Bosh!

18.28 - 264ppi for the 3.1 million pixel iPad Retina display - that's a bit sharp, innit? Four times the number of pixels compared to iPad 2

Quad-core graphics for the iPad - it's running an A5X chip, which apparently stands for quad-core?? Uhhh, okay Apple

18.25 - The new iPad is 2470 x 1536 pixel resolution, sharper than the projector Tim Cook is using so he can't show it off properly :S We weren't too far off with our prediction at least!

18.18 - New iPad announced with Retina display. No shocks so far...

18.15 - Time for iPad action! Still teasing us with stats...

18.12 - Apple TV will support 1080p video. Still no iPad talk, what a tease...

18.10 - Siri talk now, argh! It's coming to Japan and they're teaching it to understand Australian. What about Northern, Tim? It can't do that very well right now.

18.01 - Tim Cook is on stage, banging on about how Apple is a brand leader. Expect a bit of 'we're amazing' chat before we get down to the stuff we're all here for. So, iPads have made up 76% of Apple's Q4 earnings. Not surprising they're spending lots of time on these things.

17.59 - Here we go then! Will this be a big launch or a wet squib? Time to find out...

17.50 - Ten minutes to go. Now's a good time to use the bathroom.

17.40 - The San Francisco launch event is filling up fast, and apparently Coldplay is blasting out of the speakers. Thanks god the live stream hasn't kicked in yet...

17.30 - Some last-minute rumours are flying in as the launch gears up. Looks like 1GB of RAM is likely, and some sources are claiming Apple is fitting 4G LTE hotspots in its stores. Seems likely that 4G will factor in, put we'll know for certain in 30 short minutes...

17.05 - We're officially under an hour now, and it seems most people are convinced the new iPad will be christened the iPad Touch. Ughhhh, we hope not. You might as well call it the iPad Poke.

16.35 - Almost 2,400,000 people are tuned in to the live coverage on UStream. Here's hoping it holds out!

16.15 - Under two hours til launch, and there are more rumours flying around the interwebs about the iPad HD packing a stylus. Surely Apple won't be apeing Samsung?...

15.35 - Is your office buzzing over the upcoming launch? Any crazy predictions for Apple's new tablet? Follow us on Twitter and let us know!

15.15 - With less than three hours to go, Apple's Store is down. Expect it back up in a few hours, showing off some brand new Paddy-type stuff.