By Claire Reilly

Apple today launched its third-generation tablet, known affectionately as the “new iPad”, boasting new features, new hardware and a new display, all of which position it above its predecessor, the iPad 2

The device is being lauded with the usual Apple fanfare. The company’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Philip Schiller, said it “redefines the category Apple created less than two years ago,” and it added that it delivers “the most amazing experience people have ever had with technology”.

Lofty plaudits indeed! But aside from the fizz of the keynote presentation and the sparkle of the marketing material, what exactly does this iPad hold for the Australian retailers who will stock it on shelves and the Australian consumers who will flock in droves to buy it?

Herewith, the breakdown of all the details you need to know lovingly compiled by Current.com.au.

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THE BIG CHANGES

The display: A new Retina display is 2,048 x 1,536 resolution, with 3.1 million pixels – four times as many pixels as the iPad 2, and 1 million more than an HD TV. The result of this boost is that “web pages, text, images and video look incredibly sharp and realistic,” and videos can be viewed on the 9.7-inch screen in Full HD 1080p.

The processor: A new A5X chip with quad-core graphics that “doubles the graphics performance” of the previous A5 chip. This ensures the iPad has the guts to power the retina display and offers users a fast and responsive experience. Apple boasted that iPad lovers will enjoy “a smooth Multi-Touch interface, immersive gameplay, incredible visual depth and all-day battery life that iPad is known for delivering”.

The camera: A 5-megapixel iSight camera, with illumination for taking photos in low light and Full HD 1080p video shooting capabilities, with an image stabiliser to help remove bumps and shakes from footage (the previous camera shot in 720p). Images can be edited on the iPad and shared with the built-in Photos app.

Connectivity: The new iPad is being billed as a tablet that offers super-fast internet speeds on the 4G LTE spectrum in the US, but it is worth remembering that the 4G network in Northern America is different to that available in Australia. The Australian Apple website lists the Wi-Fi + 4G model's connectivity as "LTE (700, 2100 MHz)". Telstra's 4G network (the only Australian 4G network currently available) operates on the 850MHz and 1800MHz spectrum bands.

Dictation: It’s not quite Siri, but the new iPad has a microphone that supports voice-to-text dictation (which can be used with third-party apps).

The new iPad.

THE NUTS AND BOLTS

Dimensions: (h)24.1cm x (w)18.6cm x (d)0.9cm.
Weight: 652g (662g for 4G model).
Display: 9.7-inch LED-backlit retina display with Multi-Touch, 2048×1536 resolution.
Processor: Dual-core Apple A5X custom-designed chip with quad-core graphics.
Operating System: iOS 5.1.
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 4G LTE (700, 2100 MHz spectrums on 4G model).
Rear-facing Camera: 5-megapixel with autofocus, face detection, HD 1080p video with stabilisation.
Front-facing Camera: VGA, video at 30 frames-per-second, FaceTime.

Pricing (all RRPs listed in AUD): Wi-Fi only – $539 (16GB), $649 (32GB) $759 (64GB); Wi-Fi + 4G – $679 (16GB), $789 (32GB), $899 (64GB).
Availability: Friday 16 March, black and white models sold through Apple Store online, Apple retail stores and authorised resellers.

Click here for our minute-by-minute analysis of the launch event, and click here for our iPad image gallery.