With the holidays here or fast approaching, it’s time for some great last-minute deals. Walmart is leading the charge with some phenomenal Apple deals — $399 for the 16GB third-generation iPad with Wi-Fi, 16GB iPhone 5 for $127 on contract, and the iPhone 4S for $47 on contract.

Update: Apparently, the deal is for the third-generation iPad, not the fourth, as WalMart initially announced. We’ve corrected this detail. 

These are great prices when compared to the normal base prices of these products, since the 16GB iPhone 5 runs for $199, and the 4S costs $99. The phone prices are with a two-year wireless contract, where you’ll usually be paying more than $50 per month, depending on your plan.

The iPad deal also will score you a free $30 iTunes gift card, starting on Dec. 17.

Unfortunately, the Walmart deals are all in-store only, so you have to get off your bum if you want to buy at these prices.

Similarly, Best Buy lowered its price of all iPhone 5 models earlier this week. It has shaved $50 off the price of each model, so the base price of the 5 ends up as $149 on contract.

h/t 9to5Mac

iPad photo via Juhan Sonin

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Apple has agreed to pay $2.25 million to settle a legal complaint accusing the company of misleading Australian consumers about whether the new iPad included “4G” data abilities, according to The Australian.

In late March, we heard the Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission intended to sue Apple for “misleading” claims when it comes to the latest iPad offering 4G, because the device is not compatible with Australian 4G networks. Apple said that it would give people their money back if they felt misled about the 4G labeling. But now it appears it will pony up a few million bucks to be completely done with the matter with a court settlement.

The settlement in Australia has not received final approval from a judge, but if it is approved, Apple will be done with the issue in that country.

Apple also took heat in the U.K. over the iPad’s 4G branding. In response to the U.K., Australia, and other countries, Apple changed the branding to “Wi-Fi + Cellular” instead of “Wi-Fi + 4G.”

Design is determining the winners in everything mobile. The most successful players are focusing on one thing: How to make products, services, and devices as compelling and delightful as possible – visually, and experientially. MobileBeat 2012, July 10-11 in San Francisco , is assembling the most elite minds to debate how UI/UX is transforming every aspect of the mobile economy, and where the opportunities lie. Register here.

Apple announced it has sold 11.8 million iPads since the company debuted the tablet in early March. The number reflects a 151 percent increase over iPad sales during the same quarter a year ago.

The company released its third version of the iPad this quarter, staring the new Retina Display (2048-by-1536 resolution), which quadruples the amount of pixels packed into the iPad screen. The display was a huge draw for consumers, who purchased over 3 million new iPads during the product’s opening weekend alone. The upgraded tablet also featured a faster A5X chip, a better camera, LTE network capabilities, and updates to the company’s iLife and iWork app suites, which included the long-awaited debut of an iPad version of the iPhoto image-editing software.

Peter Oppenheimer, chief financial officer at Apple, said there were $6.6 billion in sales of iPads and related accessories in this quarter, a 22 percent increase over the same quarter last year. Oppenheimer said the iPad is making big progress in some non-traditional markets, starting with education. Apple has sold two iPads to every one Mac to its U.S. K-12 education customers

“iPads continue to open doors to new customer with whom apple previously had no relationship,” said Oppenheimer. Getting new users young might be what makes education a particularly appealing area for Apple.

Businesses and governments are also fertile areas for iPad sales. The U.S. Air Force has purchased thousands of iPads to act as electronic flight bags for its pilots, and the majority of Fortune 500 companies are members of the iOS developer enterprise program.

“The new iPad is on fire and we’re selling them as fast as we can make them,” said Oppenheimer.

When it was released, the new iPad struck a chord with VentureBeat’s Devindra Hardawar, who after testing the tablet out said, “Apple finally has a tablet that excites me.” Again, most of this was attributed to its new Retina Display. But despite its new hardware, the iPad was met with some criticism, particularly about overheating and battery life. It was said that the new iPad actually runs about 10 degrees warmer than the iPad 2 did. Apple has been known for having products that run warm, but the degree change isn’t really enough to pose a danger to users.

The battery charger for the new iPad has also been called out for charging the machine too slowly. It seems the Retina display demands more juice, and thus the tablet needs more time plugged in.

However, as usual, the complaints did not seem to have much of an impact on Apple’s ability to move the device.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Apple will release the new iPad to 12 new countries including South Korea, Malaysia, and Venezuela, the company announced Monday morning.

The new iPad has proven quite popular since its release in March, with more than three million units sold in the first weekend of release in 10 countries, including the U.S. and Australia. The device has been accused of running hot and charging slowly, but for the most part it has been swept up by consumers who like the top-notch screen and powerful graphics chip.

On Friday April 20, the new iPad will launch in Brunei, Croatia, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Malaysia, Panama, St Maarten, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Next up in the release schedule will be 9-country release that starts Friday, April 27. The new iPad will then arrive in Colombia, Estonia, India, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, South Africa, and Thailand.

Let us know in the comments if you are in one of these countries getting the device this month and if you’re thinking about buying the new iPad.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Facebook has updated its popular iPad app with much-welcome support for the new iPad’s Retina display and needed fixes like the ability to sign out of chat.

After a seriously long wait, Facebook finally released its Apple iPad app to the public this past October. The app functions much like the Facebook site and the iOS app. But as Facebook’s more than 750 million users seem to love photos, the app needed updating to support the iPad’s fantastic Retina display, which is one of the best-looking screens on the market.

On top of new support for the Retina display, the app also adds the following fixes:

- You can go offline in chat
- The right profile picture appears for everyone
- Your list of friends always includes all your friends
- In sets of photos, your name is displayed correctly
- Photos of people who like Facebook Pages load correctly
- Your friend-request notification only lights up if you have a request
- You can change your language to Czech, Danish, Greek, Indonesian, Malaysian, Norwegian (Bokmal), Portuguese (Portugal) or Thai

The fix I like most is the ability to sign out of chat. There are many times where I’ve wanted to check Facebook and not be seen as online by friends, so now I can do that. Profile pictures and request notifications working correctly are also welcome.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

As the buzz around the new iPad launch continues, both traditional and online publishers are “caught between the gravitational pull of the legacy tradition and the need to chart a faster digital course.” That was a key finding in a recent Pew Research Center study on the state of the publishing industry.

That “pull” was highlighted by Paul Rossi, the Managing Director and Executive Vice President of the Americas for The Economist at a recent digital publishing conference. Asked by the moderator, “What keeps you up at night?” he answered, “What worries me is the flurry of excitement over an iPad giveaway and there are a pile of The Economist magazines outside on the table.”

But in the recent Pew Research Center study, the outlook of publishers is troubling. Executives were hesitant to risk change due to “cultural inertia,” which makes adapting quickly to new technology advancements difficult. “Some of those we talked to seem frustrated and even uncertain about how to proceed,” said Tom Rosenstiel, Director of the project. “But we also found signs that, if you can break out of old cultural patterns, there is another way.” The question is, are publishers ready to explore the new territory of tablets?

The tablet is here to stay: it’s time to adapt

For publishers, the tablet is a game changer. It’s a mobile device that has a form-factor big enough to deliver truly engaging experiences that can be monetized in new ways. IDC projects that there will be over 106 million tablets shipped in 2012, up from its previous forecast of nearly 88 million. In a recent report from Rhythm New Media, full-page display ads on tablets have a 21 percent engagement rate compared to a 9.4 percent engagement rate on the same ad unit on smartphones. Clearly, these are promising signals that the tablet, after many false starts over the years, is finally ready for prime time.

While publishers are waking up to the opportunity, they are slow to capitalize on this burgeoning new channel, in great part because of two reasons. First, they are daunted by the complexity of delivering their content to tablets that requires a completely different content curation and engagement strategy than for the Web or smartphones. And second, publishers are concerned that mobile advertising on the tablet might negatively impact CPMs.

Today marks an important inflection point. If publishers fail to move quickly enough, or create flat experiences that fail to take advantage of the inherently interactive nature of mobile devices, then they are putting their businesses at risk.

Embrace evolution: tablets require a new approach

It’s seductive to think that publishing on a tablet is easy. Hypothetically, all content publishers would need to do is extend their existing publications and deliver them onto a tablet as they appear in print. And, online publishers might be tempted to create heavy apps that dynamically query and deliver content from their existing content management system. Both approaches fall short.

What publishers need to deliver is, in the words of Paul Rossi, “print plus” — a tablet experience that combine the dynamic and interactive capabilities of the web with a print-like elegance and sophistication. At this point, there are several tablet apps that demonstrate the power of “print plus” such as The Economist, Zappos Magazine, The New York Times, PopSugar, Wired, and Tweek from IndiaTimes.

The payoff: Greater engagement and monetization

Consumers are often spending more time reading publications on their tablets (or searching for apps that are not created yet) than with the print edition, which bodes well for incremental advertising sales. While more digital advertising networks are offering mobile extensions, publishers still think about the web-based model of traditional banner ads that don’t take advantage of a tablets’ valuable real estate and uniquely “lean back” experience.

For example, The W Magazine, a property of Conde Nast, has evolved their engagement and advertising strategy, as evidenced in their recently launched tablet app–The Daily W. Each month, they work with an exclusive sponsor, such as Calvin Klein or Michael Kors, to deliver a beautifully branded rich-media experience persistently available throughout the app. And, it doesn’t feel like an ad–but an exclusive video. By moving beyond traditional banner ads, publishers can create immersive and engaging experiences that are well monetized.

Publishers can thrive in the next era of tablets

The savvy content publishers are smart to understand that tablets are not a threat, but an amazing opportunity to extend the their business and engage more deeply with readers while creating new monetization models. Now is the time for the industry to make an evolutionary leap forward.

PJ Gurumohan is CEO and co-founder of GENWI, which focuses on cloud publishing for mobile. He manages the overall strategy and operations, with an emphasis on growing the brand and business. He has held various engineering and market analyst positions at IBM, Arizona Tech. Enterprise, and US Airways.

Photo Devindra Hardawar/VentureBeat

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Apple has finally responded to various criticisms about the new iPad’s so-called battery issues, with VP Michael Tchao telling AllThingsD that its charging process works the same as other devices.

As noted by our own Devindra Hardawar, the new iPad’s battery is almost 70 percent bigger than the iPad 2′s (11,560 mAh versus 6,944 mAh) to help power the Retina display, A5X processor, and LTE connectivity. With that, consumers can expect a much longer charging period as well as not being able to charge up while playing games and video. But DisplayMate recently leveled criticism at Apple by saying the iPad is only 90 percent charged when it first displays 100 percent.

Apple’s Tchao pushed back on the iPad criticisms, saying all iOS devices have had the same charging behavior. The devices all actually say they are charged to 100 percent, but before they hit a complete charge, the devices discharge and recharge slightly until unplugged. Apple designed the devices to do this to protect the battery, even if you leave them on a charger for long periods of time.

“That circuitry is designed so you can keep your device plugged in as long as you would like,” Tchao said. “It’s a great feature that’s always been in iOS.”

As the owner of an iPad 2 and an iPhone 4S, that explanation makes sense to me. There have been times in my own experiences where the top percentage of charge on either device seemed to vary slightly from what it displayed while charging. But the difference in battery life, per different charges, has never been noticeable.

Apple has rated the latest iPad to work for 10 hours over a Wi-Fi connection, and 9 hours for models with 4G LTE. Those numbers are from active usage, so if you alternate between using the iPad and letting it sleep, it will last longer than those times.

New iPad photo image: Apple

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission plans to sue Apple for “misleading” claims when it comes to the new iPad offering 4G, because the device is not compatible with the country’s 4G networks.

The new iPad has proven quite popular since its release earlier this month, with more than three million units sold in the first weekend of release in 10 countries, including the U.S. and Australia. The device has been accused of running hot and charging slowly, but now it could attract a legal offer over its networking abilities. Apple’s website says that 4G LTE is offered “only on AT&T and Verizon networks in the U.S., and on Bell, Rogers and Telus networks in Canada.”

The ACCC says it wants Apple to correct the labeling of the 4G version of the device and to educate Australian consumers that the device does not support its 4G networks.

“The ACCC alleges that Apple’s recent promotion of the new “iPad with WiFi + 4G” is misleading because it represents to Australian consumers that the product “iPad with WiFi + 4G” can, with a SIM card, connect to a 4G mobile data network in Australia, when this is not the case,” the ACCC said in press release. “Additionally the ACCC is seeking final orders including injunctions, pecuniary penalties, corrective advertising and refunds to consumers affected.”

Australian wireless provider Telstra launched the country’s first 4G network in a few cities last year. Apple’s new iPad is not compatible with the 1800MHz frequency Telstra uses. However, a consumer could pair a Telstra 4G hotspot with an iPad to get 4G service, much like U.S. consumers could do with the iPad 2 and Verizon Wireless a year ago.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

New iPad photo: Devindra Hardawar/VentureBeat

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Adding a whole new meaning to the phrase “up close and personal,” Skype has released a version of its iPad application optimized for the device’s new ultra-high resolution Retina Display.

Skype’s 3.8 for iPad was released Monday and is specifically tailored toward early buyers of Apple’s third-generation iPad, which features a heretofore unheard of screen resolution of 2,048 by 1,536 pixels.

With the release, Skype is promising customers its best-looking application yet. Technically, that description is absolutely accurate. VentureBeat’s own Devindra Hardawar, in a review of the new iPad, said, “because of its high resolution, the Retina Display makes practically everything look better, even merely browsing the web.”

But while we’re sure most of your friends and family members look better in high-definition, we know that the additional pixels won’t be favorable to all. So ladies, put your lipstick on. And gentlemen, you may want to rethink that decision to skip a shave in the morning.

Microsoft-owned Skype, which today demonstrated no qualms about rapidly updating to support a competitor’s hardware, was only recently made available to Windows Phone customers. The additional audience pool, however small it may be, helped pushed the VoIP service to a new 35 million concurrent user record.

Photo credit: spieri_sf/Flickr

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

The race to find something disastrously wrong with the new iPad is on (it’s already confirmed as a decent crotch warmer), and now there’s word that there may be issues with charging its battery.

The new iPad is apparently very slow to charge, and even worse, it barely charges at all during regular usage, reports PC World. The tablet takes almost six hours to reach full charge, PC World’s Melissa Perenson found, and you can forget about playing games or watching video if you want it to successfully fuel up.

But before we raise the pitchforks, it’s important to note what’s different with the new iPad. It sports a battery that’s almost 70 percent bigger than the iPad 2′s (11,560 mAh versus 6,944 mAh) — the largest we’ve seen yet in a tablet. So, it makes sense that it would take forever to charge. Apple bumped up the battery’s size (and made the new iPad slightly thicker) because its Retina display, faster A5X processor, and LTE connectivity are all big power drains.

In PC World’s testing, the site found that two versions of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 took almost as long as the new iPad to charge, and both of those only have 7,000 mAh batteries. The slow charging in Samsung’s tablets is far less excusable.

The new iPad’s upgraded also explains why the tablet is slow to charge while being used. I’d imagine that merely powering the Retina display saps up the power as soon as the iPad takes it from the charger. Apple could release a fast charging accessory (similar to what some rechargeable battery packs use), but hopefully, the company will be able to further optimize the new iPad’s battery through software updates.

These battery issues shouldn’t keep you from buying a new iPad, though — it’s still the best tablet out there. Software updates could fix some of the charging issues, and it’s not too difficult to get in the habit of charging it overnight. And as a casual iPad user, the issues haven’t noticeably affected the way I use the tablet.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Let me say this up front: If you’ve held out for a tablet, Apple’s new iPad is the one to get. But if you’re an iPad 2 owner and perfectly content with its lesser screen, the decision to upgrade is much tougher.

Yet again, Apple is basically competing with itself in the tablet arena. Android tablets, aside from the cheap $199 Kindle Fire, continue to bombard consumers with features (Quad core processors! Flash support!), while offering a noticeably less functional experience than the iPad for around the same price (and often more). Android is only now beginning to find its footing on tablets, and there still aren’t nearly enough Android tablet apps out there (more on this below). Other tablet competitors, like the BlackBerry PlayBook, are barely worth a mention.

This time around, Apple wisely chose to focus on the spec that matters most on a tablet: the screen. The iPad’s new Retina Display — so named because its high resolution practically makes pixels disappear — is the new standard by which all future displays will be measured.

I’ve already written a short love letter to the Retina Display, but it’s hard to overstate just how good this screen is. On the other hand, if you’re avoiding the urge to buy the new iPad, you should try to avoid seeing it in person.

The Good: It’s all about the Retina Display

Source: Anandtech

iPad Safari icon comparison: iPad 2 on left, new iPad with Retina Display on right

Despite being massive hits, Apple’s previous iPads were cursed with a surprisingly low screen resolution: 1024 by 768, or about what computer monitors offered over 10 years ago. The resolution deficiency was remedied somewhat by the iPad’s 9.7-inch screen, but as Android tablets began to reach higher resolutions (enough to support 720p high-def video), the iPad’s pixels began to show (see right).

To put it simply, the Retina Display makes the new iPad look better than its predecessors. In fact, it looks better than any computer display you’ve ever seen. Its 2048 by 1536 resolution means it can play 1080p HD video with pixels to spare. When viewed at a typical distance (around 15-inches from your face), you can’t see any pixels on the new iPad’s screen. That leads to an overall better viewing experience for just about everything.

More so than a fancy new quad-core processor (the new iPad still rocks a dual-core CPU, though its A5X processor features faster graphics), the Retina Display is an upgrade that is immediately noticeable to just about anyone. It’s a particularly significant addition since it finally makes the iPad the best at something. No other device offers the Retina Display’s high resolution in such a small amount of space — which ultimately makes it a joy to look at.

I’ll acknowledge that I’m something of a display junky. The Retina Display has gotten me more excited than the move from DVD to HD discs, but I doubt many consumers will get goosebumps over a resolution change. When viewed side-by-side with other tablets in stores, though, the superiority of the new iPad’s screen would be evident to just about everyone.

But there’s more to the new iPad than just the screen. It also marks the first time Apple has offered a 4G LTE mobile device, and its slightly faster processor now features quad-core graphics, which will be a boon for gaming.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to test out the LTE version of the iPad. But judging from the fast download speeds others are seeing — between 10 megabits per second and 25 Mbps on both Verizon and AT&T’s 4G networks — it looks like the LTE connectivity is well worth the extra cost. Even better, the iPad has built-in 4G hotspot capabilities at no extra charge — so you can easily use it to get your laptop online. The iPad isn’t the first tablet to get LTE, but it’s the first to offer it without a complicated contract.

Infinity Blade 2 on the new iPad

I spent a good chunk of the last weekend “testing out” the new iPad’s improved graphics with popular titles like Infinity Blade 2 and Galaxy on Fire 2 HD. The improvements are noticeable: textures have more detail, and the games sport more eye-candy overall. The upgraded graphics were also a necessity, since you need more horsepower to run games at higher resolutions. That’s also the reason Apple chose to include 1 gigabyte of RAM in the new iPad — twice that of the iPad 2.

Speaking of performance, I’m not sure if it’s due to the faster graphics or increased RAM, but there’s a definite confidence in the new iPad’s performance. Launching and moving between apps is effortless, there’s none of the slowdown that we often expect from mobile devices. It may not be a huge upgrade over the iPad 2′s performance, but compared to lesser tablet competitors, it’s miles ahead.

The new iPad also sports an improved 5 megapixel rear camera, which can take 1080p HD video. It’s a massive improvement over the iPad 2′s shooter (not a huge win, since that camera was notoriously bad), but for some reason Apple still hasn’t upgraded the front-facing iSight camera.

The bad: Slightly heavier, not ideal for movies

Given that this is Apple’s third stab at refining its tablet, the new iPad has few negatives. It’s slightly heavier than the iPad 2 (to account for a larger battery), but the difference is something only iPad 2 owners will notice. In my messenger bag, it still feels as portable as its predecessor, and it’s nowhere near as bulky as the first iPad.

Holding up the new iPad with one hand strained my wrist slightly more than the iPad 2 did, which could be a problem for longer reading sessions. (Time for the long-rumored smaller iPad, anyone?)

Those looking for a completely new iPad design will be disappointed, as the new iPad is virtually indistinguishable from the iPad 2. As some of the pictures below show, the new iPad is slightly thicker, but you’d really have to look close to notice that. It also features a slightly more tapered rear, which made it a bit easier to hold than past versions.

One nagging problem about the new iPad is its 4:3 screen ratio. When it comes to browsing the web and reading text, it’s not much of an issue. But when you’re watching movies, the screen aspect has trouble fitting widescreen films. The issue is particularly pronounced with widescreen films using the 2.35:1 aspect ratio — a format so wide that it still makes black bars appear on widescreen HDTVs.

The new iPad is perfectly fine for most films, but for those using the more cinematic 2.35:1 format, it’s simply frustrating. Again, this is a problem that has plagued the iPad since the beginning — it’s simply not an ideal movie viewing device, even though it can now play Blu-ray quality films. (And yes, you can zoom into the video by double-tapping, but as a cinephile I find that blasphemous.)

New iPad vs. Android tablets

My biggest takeaway from using the new iPad? It feels so much better than any Android tablet that I’ve tested (and that’s a lot of tablets), that it’s sort of embarrassing for Google.

The big difference is in how Apple and Google are approaching tablets. Apple is pushing the iPad as an entirely different platform from the iPhone, with apps that cater to its larger screen.

Android tablet makers like Samsung, on the other hand, initially just recreated the Android phone experience on slates. That was mostly Google’s fault, since Android wasn’t optimized for tablets until Android 3.0 “Honeycomb.” With that release came a few Android apps targeted at tablets, but it was still nowhere near the app frenzy that the iPad has seen.

For any mobile platform, it all comes down to the apps: Apple has pushed developers to create iPad apps, and the general success of the platform is also luring developers to upgrade their apps as well. There are now over 200,000 iPad apps available on the App Store, out of a total of 550,000 iOS apps. Meanwhile, there are only a relative handful of Android tablet apps available. (I haven’t seen an exact count of Android tablet apps lately, but from browsing around Google Play, I figure there are a few hundred.)

Google’s Android head Andy Rubin said the company is aiming to “double-down” on tablets this year, but unless Google fundamentally rethinks how it’s approaching tablets and developers, I don’t have much hope for the future of Android slates. (Microsoft may have a stronger iPad competitor right out the gate with Windows 8.)

Honestly, even the iPad 2 offers a better experience than any Android tablet I’ve seen, even with its slightly lower specs. But the new iPad’s Retina Display, as well as its faster graphics, put it on another level entirely.

The level of polish in the new iPad puts every Android tablet to shame, and it’s a clear sign that many Android tablet makers should just give it up already. Android will continue to shine in the low-end market, with devices like the Kindle Fire, but you’d be hard-pressed to consider those direct competitors to the iPad.

Wrapping up: the best tablet yet

What’s most remarkable about the new iPad is that it has finally won me over. I’ve never been a big fan of tablets in general, but now that there’s a slate with a screen that’s significantly better than any other display I’ve seen, I have a reason to reach for my iPad instead of my MacBook Pro, iPhone, or Kindle.

I liked the iPad 2, but it was never able to find its way into my daily workflow. The new iPad, on the other hand, is something I now prefer to use for general web browsing or reading long documents.

The Retina Display, instead of just being a smart marketing ploy, truly makes all the difference.

Specs at a glance

• Dual-core A5X processor with quad-core graphics
• 2048 by 1536 9.7-inch Retina Display
• 1GB RAM
• LTE 4G, HSPA+ compatible
• 5 megapixel rear camera, VGA front camera
• Price: Starting at $499 for 16GB with Wi-Fi, $629 for 16GB with LTE

Photos: Devindra Hardawar/VentureBeat (unless otherwise noted)

VentureBeat is holding its second annual MobileSummit this April 2-3 in Sausalito, Calif. The invitation-only event will debate the five key business and technology challenges facing the mobile industry today, and participants — 180 mobile executives, investors, and policymakers — will develop concrete, actionable solutions that will shape the future of themobile industry. You can find out more at our Mobile Summit site.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Updated at 9:07 a.m. PT with Apple’s response.

Hope you like your apples crispy. The new iPad actually burns about 10 degrees hotter than the previous model, according to Dutch site Tweakers.net.

While just about everyone who has handled the new iPad has given it high marks (including us), the fact that it runs hot may be a sign of future trouble with the tablet. Several reports around the web on Monday said the iPad can get so hot that it will display an error message and shut down.

The team from Tweakers.net decided to see if they could confirm the heat issue. They ran the GLBenchmark, which runs the machines hard, on the new iPad and iPad 2 for five minutes to get the tablets warmed up and then measured the bodies with infrared camera. After the benchmark test, the new iPad was 10 degrees hotter — at 92.5 degrees Fahrenheit versus the iPad 2 at 82.9 degrees Fahrenheit.

What’s causing the heat increase? The new iPad’s larger battery, 4G wireless networking components, higher-resolution Retina display, a bump in RAM, and new A5X processor are likely all at fault.

Apple, in a statement to AllThingsD, basically has kept mum on the issue:

The new iPad delivers a stunning Retina display, A5X chip, support for 4G LTE plus 10 hours of battery life, all while operating well within our thermal specifications. If customers have any concerns they should contact AppleCare.

Let us know in the comments if your new iPad is running hot and how troublesome it has been for you (if at all).

Via Engadget

New iPad photo: Devindra Hardawar/VentureBeat

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

You’ve seen us gush about the new iPad’s Retina Display, but now the screen tech experts at DisplayMate have run their tests and confirmed that it basically blows everything else away.

“Apple has taken the very good display on the iPad 2 and dramatically improved two of its major weak points: sharpness and color saturation — they are now state-of-the-art,” writes DisplayMate President Dr. Raymond Soneira. “Our lab tests and visual tests agree with Apple’s claim that the new iPad has ‘the best display ever on a mobile device.’”

While most of the tech press has focused on the new iPad’s increased screen resolution, Soneira says the improved color saturation is “equally responsible for its wow factor.” Compared to the iPhone 4S and iPad 2, which display 60 to 64 percent of the standard color gamut, the new iPad hits a “virtually perfect” 99 percent of the color gamut. And because of proper calibration, the new iPad offers vibrant colors that aren’t overly saturated like some OLED displays.

Soneira notes that with some minor calibration, the new iPad’s screen could qualify as a studio reference monitor — a screen so good that you could use it for accurate representations of color. It’s the sort of feature that appeals to photographers and movie directors, who want to make sure that their images look as good as possible.

Of course, that retina display is also contributing to the new iPad running about 10 degrees hotter than previous versions, leading to reports that the tablet has been shutting down. Brings a whole new meaning to “crisp” resolution.

VentureBeat is holding its second annual MobileSummit this April 2-3 in Sausalito, Calif. The invitation-only event will debate the five key business and technology challenges facing the mobile industry today, and participants — 180 mobile executives, investors, and policymakers — will develop concrete, actionable solutions that will shape the future of themobile industry. You can find out more at our Mobile Summit site.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Apple announced today that it has sold three million new iPads since its launch on Friday, March 16 — the most iPads sold in a launch weekend yet.

The figure comes after earlier reports of “record” sales from both Apple and AT&T. It’s particularly impressive given the remaining iPad stock that many stores had on Friday. For example, I was able to snap up a new iPad around 11 a.m. on Friday by just strolling into my local Radio Shack.

It’s not at all shocking that the new iPad has sold so well. Reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, and the only reason why you wouldn’t want to buy one is if you’re a satisfied iPad 2 owner, don’t have $500 (minimum) to shell out, or if you just don’t care for tablets. If you’ve been holding out for a tablet, however, this is definitely the one to get — especially as the Android competition continues to look slim.

Apple never revealed launch sales for the iPad 2, though analysts placed it somewhere near 1 million units. The company also notably sold over 4 million iPhone 4S units when it launched last October.

The big upgrade in the new iPad is its high-resolution Retina display, which blows away the screen of its predecessors, and pretty much every other computer display for that matter.

As I wrote in my initial hands-on with the tablet, the Retina display finally gives the iPad a feature that you can’t find anywhere else. Few consumer computer monitors reach near the new iPad’s 2048 by 1536 resolution (Apple’s 27-inch Thunderbolt display is one of the few, but it’s still not as dense as the iPad). The screen is also far beyond the 1920 by 1080 resolution of HDTVs.

On a call to discuss its first-ever share dividend Monday morning, Apple CEO Tim Cook admitted that the new iPad had a “record weekend” for sales.

Cook did not get specific with sales numbers because the call was focused on the new dividend and share buyback. However, the announcement is a curious one because of the notable lack of sell-outs at many stores around the country this past weekend. Even though Apple Store locations attracted attention with long lines, our own Devindra Hardawar was able to get a new iPad at 11 a.m. on launch day from a Radio Shack location without any fuss.

Perhaps this was because Apple was more-ready-than-ever to meet demand for the iPad. Or maybe a ton of people ordered online so they didn’t have to deal with the lines.

If Apple did indeed achieve huge sales numbers this weekend, we expect the company to trumpet the milestone. When the iPhone 4S sold more than four million units in its first weekend, for example, Apple let the public know with a press release.

AT&T followed Cook by a few hours with its own statement about setting a single-day record for iPad sales this past Friday, saying:

On Friday, March 16, AT&T set a new single-day record for its iPad sales and activations, demonstrating robust demand for the new iPad on the nation’s largest 4G network, covering nearly 250 million people.

iPad photo: Devindra Hardawar/VentureBeat

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

The new iPad costs about $364.35 for its bill of materials, according to a teardown analysis by IHS iSuppli.

The tablet also costs $10.75 to manufacture, raising the total production cost to $375.10. That means that Apple makes a handy profit on every machine that it sells for $499 or more, in keeping with the company’s policy of pricing its hardware to make profits. The cost likely gives Apple considerable advantages over rivals trying to enter the business. The teardowns also reveal who the winners and the losers are among chip and component makers.

The bill of materials for the 16-gigabyte 4G LTE version is $347.55, while the 64-gigabyte version is $397.95. The $364.35 bill of materials cost for the 32-gigabyte 4g LTE version is about 50 percent of the $729 retail price. The lowest-end version of the new iPad with 16 gigabytes and no LTE costs $316, which means that the 4G LTE components carry a pretty hefty cost. The highest-end model with 64 gigabytes of memory and LTE costs $408.70.

IHS iSuppli notes that the estimates account for hardware and manufacturing costs only and do not include additional expenses such as software, licensing, royalties or other expenditures.

The new iPad is more expensive to produce than the iPad 2 at the time of its launch, even though the retail prices are the same. The 32-gigabyte LTE model costs 9 percent more than an iPad 2 with 32 gigabytes and 3G wireless ($335). Higher costs include the addition of the high-resolution Retina display, 4G LTE wireless, and a larger-capacity battery.

The new iPad is more expensive to produce than the iPad 2 at the time of product launch, even though the retail price points are the same. The 32GB LTE model’s BOM is nearly 9 percent higher than an iPad 2 equipped with 32GB and 3G wireless, which carried a cost of approximately $335 at the time of product launch. Major factors driving up the BOM include the addition of the high-resolution Retina display, LTE wireless and a larger-capacity battery.

Samsung is the big winner with the new iPad. It supplies both the display and the A5X applications processor. The display is the most expensive item in the machine, costing $87, while the applications procesor costs $23. That gives Samsung a 30.2 percent share of the 32 gigabyte LTE version of the tablet.

The NAND flash memory (the 32-gigabytes) was supplied by Toshiba in the unit analyzed, but Samsung is also a supplier of these parts. Counting the $33.60 cost of the NAND flash, the units where Samsung supplies the flash give it a total $143.60 share of the cost, or 39.4 percent of the bill of materials. Hynix also provides NAND flash. IHS also believes Samsung supplies the battery, but isn’t sure yet.

“The Retina display represents the centerpiece of the new iPad and is the most obvious enhancement in features compared to previous-generation models,” said Andrew Rassweiler, senior principal analyst, teardown services, at IHS. “The first two generations of the iPad employed the same type of display—a screen with resolution of 1,024 by 768 pixels. For the third-generation new iPad, Apple has taken a significant step up in display capabilities and expense, at four times the resolution and 53 percent more cost.”

The iPad 2′s screen cost only $57. Apple reportedly has three sources for the display: Samsung, LG Display, and Sharp. The touch screen portion of the iPad costs $40, or 10.9 percent of the total cost. The main suppliers are still TPK, Wintek and Chi Mei.

The wireless section costs $41.50 and accounts for 11.4 percent of the cost. As 4G LTE is more expensive, it costs more than the $25.60 wireless section of the iPad 2. The winner here is Qualcomm, which supplies the MDM9600 baseband processor, which provides the LTE wireless data networking.

Apple itself designs the A5X processor, which is 6.3 percent of the total bill of materials. Samsung is the foundry, or contract chip manufacturer, and so Samsung likely commands a lower margin on the device. The flash memory is where Apple makes its money.

“The NAND flash memory is one of the key profit-generating components for Apple in the new iPad line, as it has been in previous iPads and in the iPhone family,” Rassweiler noted. “Apple makes far and away more money in selling consumers NAND flash than NAND flash manufacturers make selling it to Apple. And the more flash in the iPad, the higher the profit margin there is for Apple.”

For instance, Apple charges $100 more for a 32-gigabyte version compared to the 16-gigabyte model, but the extra cost is only $16.80.

The new iPad camera module design is the same as in the iPhone 4. The two cameras in the tablet cost $12.35, or 3.4 percent of the bill of materials. The new battery is a lithium polymer model that supports 42.5 watt hours, up about 75 percent from 25 watt hours in the iPad 2. But because prices have fallen in the last year, the new battery is only 40 percent more than the old one. The cost is $32, compared to $22.75 for the iPad 2 battery.

iFixit mentioned that Broadcom supplies the BCM 4330, which handles WiFi and Bluetooth.

[Image credits: IHS iSuppli]

Game developers and publishers expressed their support for the new Apple iPad as it launched around the world on Friday. One of the ways they did that is by modifying their games to take advantage of the new iPad’s outstanding display.

Gamers and game developers are so key to the mobile ecosystem that they can make or break the future of any new mobile device. And the new iPad will likely make them happy. As VentureBeat’s Devindra Hardawar pointed out, many of the best apps to show off the new Retina display on the new iPad will be games such as Chair Entertainment’s Infinity Blade II (pictured right). Soon, the subsidiary of Epic Games will release its Infinity Blade Dungeons game as well.

As you can see from above, the new iPad’s imagery looks better in Wooga’s Diamond Dash game. Jens Begemann, chief executive of Berlin-based Wooga, said, “On first sight, I found the retina screen nice but a less dramatic shift than when the iPhone 4 succeeded the iPhone 3GS. After using it all day, however, I can’t go back to the old one and non-retina apps look dated. Colors look brilliant and for the first time you spot fine details you didn’t see before.”

He added, “Games feel more immersive and it’s even easier to get lost in a game and forget about the device you are using.”

The iPad is selling at the rate of more than 15 million per quarter. By comparison, Sony sells about as many units of the PlayStation 3 in a year.

Wooga revamped its Diamond Dash app to take advantage of the advanced resolution. Apple allowed game developers to increase the memory size of their apps from 20 megabytes to 50 megabytes for wireless downloading over the air. That means that game developers can double the resolution of their games without worrying about going over the air limit, which is important because many users only buy games that they can download over the air.

Gameloft, one of the largest mobile game publishers, said it had optimized four games for the new iPad. That means its games will take full advantage of the new iPad’s retina display, which doubles the resolution to 2048 x 1536 pixels, compared 1024 x 768 for the older iPads. Full told, Gameloft has more than 100 iOS (iPad, iPod Touch, and iPhone) games.

“Gameloft is excited to support the new iPad,” said Gonzague De Vallois, senior vice president of publishing for Gameloft in Paris. “With its A5X processor, we can continue to showcase our unique development approach and creativity.”

Greg Harper, general manager of tablet game startup Supercell, said, “We believe tablets are the ultimate platform for games, and today the iPad clearly dominates.  The other game platforms are certainly good, but they all have major drawbacks.  PCs and consoles have incredible horsepower but lack mobility and a touch interface.  And consoles (including handhelds) are simply not mass market.  Mobile smartphones are great but there’s only so much you can do on a small screen.  The tablet is the best of all possible worlds, and the iPad has it all.”

Gameloft said it modified Order & Chaos Online, Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation, Asphalt 6: Adrenaline, and Gangstar Rio: City of Saints. Those games will run on the iPad and take advantage of the new display.

Namco released its Sky Gamblers: Air Supremacy game, which was shown at the new iPad’s launch event last week, with a look that is optimized for the new tablet. Electronic Arts, Illusion Labs and others are also releasing new iPad apps. Other games that have been tweaked for the display are FMX Riders, Flight Control Rocket, Foosball HD, Galaxy on Fire 2 HD, Joining Hands, Labyrinth 2 HD, Lab Solitaire, Letris Power, Monsters Ate My Condo, Parlour Solitaire, Real Racing 2 HD, Save the Pencil HD, Tractor Beam, Touchgrind BMX, and Woodroid HD+.

Clearly, gamers are looking forward to the device. About 22 percent of users said that Angry Birds was their favorite app for the new iPad. About 19.5 percent cited Zynga’s Words With Friends, according to a survey today by Protect Your Bubble insurance.

“The new iPad is the best gaming platform I have ever seen for the mass market, super fast and great display,” said YuChiang Cheng, chief executive of World Golf Tour.

---

GamesBeat 2013 is our fifth annual conference on disruption in the video game market. You'll get 360-degree perspectives from top gaming executives, developers, and analysts on what’s to come in the industry. Our theme this year is “The Battle Royal.” Check out full event details here, and grab your early-bird tickets here!

---

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

I can’t stop looking at my new iPad. Its high-resolution Retina Display screen had me intrigued since it was first announced, but now, seeing it in person, I can’t help but be entranced.

Text looks crisp, games are even more immersive, and I can’t stop browsing high-def movie trailers. Overall, the new iPad has won me over after only a few hours — and that’s a major accomplishment for any tablet.

First, some background: Even though I lead mobile coverage here at VentureBeat, I’ve yet to truly fall in love with a tablet, or the tablet category in general. Maybe you can attribute it to tablet fatigue. Aside from Apple’s tablets, I’ve been mostly disappointed with every other slate I’ve come across (I’m looking at you, every Android tablet maker in existence).

The iPad 2 has been my favorite tablet so far, but it still never found a way into my daily workflow. When I want to read something on the go, I use my iPhone 4S or Kindle. And if I want to browse the web, check e-mail, or do pretty much anything productive, I reach for my MacBook Air. The iPad 2 did many things well, but it unfortunately didn’t do anything better than my existing collection of devices, so it was mostly left on the sidelines.

But thanks to the new iPad’s Retina Display, which is the sharpest 9.7-inch screen we’ve ever seen, I’m already finding myself using it more, even though I’ve only had it a few hours. The difference between the iPad 2 and new iPad’s screen is like the jump between DVD and Blu-ray. Indeed, the new iPad’s value proposition is entirely centered on a huge resolution bump.

Here’s what’s really important about the new Retina Display: it finally gives the iPad a feature that you can’t find anywhere else. Few consumer computer monitors reach near the new iPad’s 2048 by 1536 resolution (Apple’s 27-inch Thunderbolt display is one of the few, as the commenter below points out, but it’s still not as dense as the iPad). The screen is also far beyond the 1920 by 1080 resolution of HDTVs.

Because of its high resolution, the Retina Display makes practically everything look better, even merely browsing the web. That alone is enough to make me reach for it — and it’s something every other tablet maker should take note of.

VentureBeat is holding its second annual MobileSummit this April 2-3 in Sausalito, Calif. The invitation-only event will debate the five key business and technology challenges facing the mobile industry today, and participants — 180 mobile executives, investors, and policymakers — will develop concrete, actionable solutions that will shape the future of themobile industry. You can find out more at our Mobile Summit site.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

As gadget hounds are tearing into their new iPads, a hacker has revealed that he’s already successfully jailbroken the tablet — though it’s far from a final release.

iOS hacker MuscleNerd posted the above screenshot on Twitter, but added that this is merely the first step towards getting a jailbreak ready for eager hackers to use. By jailbreaking your iOS device, you can run unauthorized apps and install things like widgets, which Apple doesn’t support. MuscleNerd says there’s no ETA on when the final jailbreak will be released.

His work basically opens the floodgates for his group of iOS hackers, the infamous iPhone Dev-Team, to work on a more polished hack. He also posted a screenshot of the Cydia jailbreak app repository running on the new iPad, further proof that his hack was legit.

The hacker and his group were the first to release an iPhone 4S jailbreak, and he also pointed out a legal method way to get Siri on your iPhone 4. Today’s hack shows that no matter how much Apple tries to lock down iOS, hackers will always find a way in.

Via The Verge

VentureBeat is holding its second annual Mobile Summit this April 2-3 in Sausalito, Calif. The invitation-only event will debate the five key business and technology challenges facing the mobile industry today, and participants — 180 mobile executives, investors, and policymakers — will develop concrete, actionable solutions that will shape the future of the mobile industry. You can find out more at our Mobile Summit site.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

So you’ve got a shiny new iPad — now what? Given that the most significant upgrade this time around is its new Retina Display, we suggest diving into apps that will best show off the high-resolution screen.

Apple has wisely collected some choice apps optimized for the new iPad in iTunes, but it’s missed some really strong ones. We’ve collected some of our favorite apps, as well as the ones we think will look best when upgraded to the new iPad’s 2048 by 1536 pixel resolution.

Infinity Blade II

Epic’s sequel to its smash-hit Infinity Blade has been one of the best-looking apps on the iPad since it was first released. Now with its update for the new iPad, Epic’s graphical prowess has even more of a chance to shine. Infinity Blade II shows how the new iPad can seriously be considered a competitor to existing consoles. — $6.99

Solar Walk

Amateur astronomy junkies rejoice; the best space app on the iPad is now even better. Solar Walk contains a ton of information about our solar system, as well as detailed 3D models that really take advantage of the iPad’s Retina Display. — $2.99

iPhoto

Apple has finally ported its popular photo editing and management app to iOS. While it’s a bit late to the party, iPhoto still has a lot to offer some consumers thanks to its effects, multi-touch editing, and browsing features. — $4.99

Amazon Kindle

With the strongest e-book library around, Amazon made sure that its Kindle app was ready for the new iPad. In particular, the Kindle app will show how the new iPad makes text look extra-sharp (Apple says it’s sharper than reading a newspaper). The Retina Display may be good enough to tempt some consumers away from purchasing Amazon’s e-ink Kindles. — Free

Roambi Flow

Business data never looked this pretty. Mellmo launched its iPad app Roambi Flow last May in an attempt to bring the stodgy and boring world of business information into the stylish tablet era. While it was attractive from the start,  Roambi Flow will make your business data seem downright sexy on the new iPad. — Free (Viewer)

Reeder

Of the many news-reading apps on iOS, Reeder is by far the best. Now you’ll be able to keep track of all your RSS feeds (including Google Reader), with text that looks better than any of your other displays. — $4.99

Other notable apps

Here are a few other Retina Display-ready apps worth checking out:

• Evernote — Free
• IA Writer — $0.99
• Mass Effect Infiltrator – $6.99
• Galaxy on Fire 2 HD — $9.99

VentureBeat is holding its second annual Mobile Summit this April 2-3 in Sausalito, Calif. The invitation-only event will debate the five key business and technology challenges facing the mobile industry today, and participants — 180 mobile executives, investors, and policymakers — will develop concrete, actionable solutions that will shape the future of the mobile industry. You can find out more at our Mobile Summit site.

In the crowds at major Apple stores across the U.S. for the new iPad were a few people who were decidedly out-of-place: protestors who wanted to remind the shoppers about “unethical” working conditions of the Chinese laborers who make Apple’s products.

Apple has attracted criticism for treatment of workers at the Foxconn plants that manufacture iPads, iPhones, and other popular items. Factory workers receive little pay and work very long hours to make these products. Foxconn and Apple opened their factory doors to ABC News, but the report felt lightweight in its treatment. Foxconn factories also produce products for other big electronics companies such as Nokia, Microsoft, Sony, and Motorola.

At the Fifth Avenue Apple Store in New York, first time launch protestor Charlene Carruthers from Change.org told VentureBeat that Apple CEO Tim Cook has not done enough to address the alleged hardships of Chinese laborers.

“We want Apple to release a clear strategy on how they plan to treat workers,” Carruthers said. “Apple is based around innovation, so in this case we want them to ‘think differently’ about how they treat workers.”

Carruthers and a few others held up a large sign (see above) and attracted interviews from several media outlets. The online petition she was there to support now has more than 250,000 signatures.

At the Market Street San Francisco Apple store, a dozen people from Change.org stood in front of the iPad line handing out fliers and holding a large banner covered in comments taken from the online petition. Volunteer William Winters said what the protesters want is “an iPhone or iPad that doesn’t have blood in it.”

While the protesting could be viewed as commendable, the throngs of Apple fans clamoring for a new iPad didn’t seem phased as they shuffled by toward the front door of the Apple store.

You can see more photos of today’s iPad launch in the gallery below:

Protestors photo: Sean Ludwig/VentureBeat

VentureBeat is holding its second annual Mobile Summit this April 2-3 in Sausalito, Calif. The invitation-only event will debate the five key business and technology challenges facing the mobile industry today, and participants — 180 mobile executives, investors, and policymakers — will develop concrete, actionable solutions that will shape the future of the mobile industry. You can find out more at our Mobile Summit site.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Apple’s third-generation iPad drew the expected crowds for its big public debut on Friday. The hubbub started a minute after midnight, when select Best Buy and Walmart locations opened their doors to customers. There were lines at some third-party resellers, but the bigger throngs of diehards went straight to the mother ship, the Apple Store, which started selling iPads at 8am local time.

Protesters from Change.org also made their presence known at the launch lines, after reaching over 250,000 signatures in their online petition demanding ethical treatment for Apple workers. VentureBeat’s Sean Ludwig caught sight of some protesters holding a large sign (see gallery) at the flagship 5th Avenue Apple Store in New York City. Protestor Charlene Carruthers told VentureBeat she wanted Apple to ‘think different’ about worker treatment. At the downtown San Francisco store, a dozen protesters handed out fliers. Protester William Winters said they wanted “an iPad or iPhone that doesn’t have blood in it.”

Some customers camped out the night before, and, as always, a few cheaters paid stand-ins to handle the tedious waiting part. At the front of the 5th Avenue store line was Greg Packer, a retired New Yorker who was in line since noon on Monday. Packer told us he was sponsored by the company Buy Back World to stand in line, and he wore a T-shirt for that company.

“I’ve been sleeping here in a chair since Monday,” Packer said. “I’m most excited about the new iPad’s MiFi abilities and better pictures.”

In San Francisco, rain dampened a bit of the excitement. Outside the Market Street Apple store, the line went half-way down the block to an empty parking lot where customers were served free coffee and water. Most of the people in line showed up that morning and only had to wait an hour to get an iPad. A block away at the Verizon store, there were iPads in stock but no customers. In order to buy an iPad from Verizon, you have to sign up for a Verizon iPad data plan. A few doors down, the Radio Shack had pre-sold all its stock the week before. The AT&T store had three people waiting outside, but didn’t open its doors until 9am.

The new iPad isn’t a radical departure from its predecessor, the iPad 2, but it is a solid upgrade that’s getting great reviews. The form factor is almost the same, but the new iPad is slightly thicker and heavier. The device’s big selling point is a stunning new Retina display, which packs in four-times as many pixels as the iPad 2 (for 3.1 million pixels total). The device has a dual-core A5X processor to keep up with the heavier graphics processing and an improved 5-megapixel back-facing camera. Customers who opt for the Wi-Fi + 4G version will enjoy zippier 4G LTE speeds on Verizon or AT&T.

Here are some photos of iPad lines from VentureBeat’s outposts in New York City and Nashville, Tennessee:

Photos and additional reporting by Sean Ludwig, Tom Cheredar

VentureBeat is holding its second annual Mobile Summit this April 2-3 in Sausalito, Calif. The invitation-only event will debate the five key business and technology challenges facing the mobile industry today, and participants — 180 mobile executives, investors, and policymakers — will develop concrete, actionable solutions that will shape the future of the mobile industry. You can find out more at our Mobile Summit site.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

On Friday, stores around the world will be opening their doors to crowds of Apple fans, eager to be the first to swipe their frozen, grimy fingers across the glorious new iPad Retina display. The lines aren’t necessary, you can buy the devices online, but they’re an admirable feat of branding and marketing, and a display of just how hungry Apple fans are to have the latest gadget before anyone else.

If you’re planning on getting a new iPad tomorrow, here’s a guide to help you navigate the madness. The Apple Store isn’t the only game in town. Certified Apple Resellers will also have some units in stock, but the selection and inventory aren’t as dependable. I’d suggest calling ahead to find out how many units your reseller has before getting in line, but all stores (Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Verizon, AT&T, and Radio Shack) say they’re not allowed to share that information. Some won’t even receive shipments until tomorrow, including many smaller outlets such as college campus stores.

Pick your model (and your second choice, maybe third)

Before lining up, decide which iPad you plan on buying. Then, consider what features you’re flexible on since there’s a high chance that your dream configuration will be sold-out.

Color: It’s available in black or white — like anyone is admiring the back of your Retina-display iPad.

Size: New iPads are available in three memory sizes, 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB.

Price tag: Prices start at $499 for a 16GB Wi-Fi model and go all the way up to $829 for the 64GB with 4G model (data plan not included).

Connectivity: The new iPad with Wi-Fi + 4G LTE will be available on Verizon or AT&T. You don’t have to sign up for a data plan when you buy, but you do need to pick what company you’ll be using since each iPad is pre-configured to work with just one of them. If you know which carrier you want, you can go directly to one of its stores and avoid the longer Apple lines.

Trade-in: If you already have an old iPad, you can trade it in when you buy your new model at some sellers. Exact trade-in offers can vary a bit, but for the most part they seem to be competitive. Verizon, Target, and (as of Wednesday) Apple each have trade-in programs for iPads. eBay’s Instant Sale option is another way to sell your old iPad, and the site tells you how much the device is going for at auction. There are other reselling sites like Gazelle, or you can donate it to worthy organizations like Teach for America.

Location, location, location

Even though Apple Stores get all the attention, iPads are actually available at a variety of certified Apple Resellers in the U.S. Sure, the line outside of the Norman, Okla. Target won’t have the same exciting rock-concert feel, but it might be much shorter. On the other hand, small stores get shafted in the selection department — many don’t know what they’re getting or how many until the iPads arrive. Here are your options:

The Apple Store

Apple stores open at 8:00am local time, but people are already lined up. You can order online anytime, but there’s already a 2-3 week wait. Apple recently added iPads to its buy-back program, which pays with an Apple gift card. The estimated price for a 64GB iPad 2 with 3G is $320. You can calculate the price for your model on Apple’s site.

If you’re considering camping out overnight for an iPad instead of just buying it online, chances are you’re in it for the experience or are really hard-up for something to brag about. Apple Retail stores are the place to spend a few chilly hours stretching in place, drinking free coffee, being marketed to by clever companies who couldn’t pass up a captive crowd, and having sleepy conversations with interesting characters (pictured) and like-minded Apple fans.

If you want to be in line when the doors open but don’t want to do all that boring waiting, you can pay someone to wait in line for you. There are offers on eBay and Craigslist, like this person charging $100 for his spot in line at the Los Gatos Apple store (Steve Wozniak’s favorite location).

There are benefits to buying your new iPad in an Apple store. The lines are longest, but the stock is going to be much larger there than at other stores. The staff is also better trained on the product and will be extra knowledgeable and helpful. Apple says each in-store customer will receive a “personal setup” service — a nice addition for those who need extra assistance migrating from an old iPad or setting up their email and apps on an iPad for the first time.

The new iPad will be available at all Apple retail stores in 10 countries. From left to right: Canada, U.S., UK, France, Switzerland, Germany, Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan.

Find your nearest Apple store.

Verizon

Stores open at 8:00am local time, but online sales begin at 3:01am Eastern Time. Verizon only sells 4G LTE iPad models that work on the Verizon network, and you have to sign up for a Verizon plan on the spot to buy your iPad. Verizon accepts trade-ins, and offers $325 for a working iPad 2, 64GB with 3G.

Locate a local Verizon store.

AT&T

Stores open at 8am local time. AT&T is only selling 4G LTE iPad models that work on the AT&T network. The wireless carrier is requiring customers to purchase the minimum data plan, which is $25, along with the iPad. AT&T is not accepting trade-ins.

Find an AT&T location near you.

Best Buy

Making the most of the excitement, some 24-hour Best Buy locations will start selling the iPad at midnight. The New York City, Union Square location will begin handing out tickets to people in line at 10pm.

Like the other stores, Best Buy would not divulge how many units it had in stock. However, at least one Florida location has 2,000 iPads, which an armed store employee and accomplice attempted to steal Thursday, along with other Apple products totaling $1.3 million. The pair’s plan was thwarted when they were caught in the parking lot by an off-duty deputy.

Locate the Best Buy nearest you.

Walmart

Also beating Apple Retail to the punch, Walmart is opening its doors at 12:01am local time at its 24-hour locations. Walmart does offer a trade-in program online through Gazelle, but you’d have to wait for the gift card in the mail. You might as well just buy your iPad online.

Find the closest Walmart for some midnight madness.

Target

Stores open at 8am local time. Target may not be opening at midnight, but the company is rolling out the red carpet for iPad buyers. They’re offering a 5 percent discount to shoppers who use the Target credit card, and are accepting trade-ins on the spot. They’ve said a top-of-the-line iPad 2 can get as much as $350 towards a new iPad, which is about $20 more than most other locations. Exact inventory is, of course, unknown.

Use the Target store locator to find one in your area.

Radio Shack

Stores open at 8:00am, but pre-sales have already been available for weeks at some locations (they weren’t advertised). The most overlooked of the iPad retailers, Radio Shacks are supposed to have iPads in stock, but some have already pre-sold all of their units. The lines will be shortest here, but keep in mind that most Radio Shacks typically have a very limited numbers of iPads to begin with. For example, all locations in San Francisco had one shipment of just 50 to share, according to one Radio Shack employee.

Find a Radio Shack and hope nobody else thought of the same thing.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Amazon has released a major update to its Kindle iOS app today that will let it take advantage of the new iPad’s Retina Display, fixing an issue some reviewers brought up regarding blurry text on earlier versions of the app.

The Kindle version 3.0 app for iOS also offers a new “cloud view,” which will allow you to easily see all of your Kindle content in the cloud on a single screen. From there, you can download books from the cloud to your device (previously, finding your archived Kindle items was a lot clunkier).

Amazon was wise to update its Kindle app so quickly — the company needs to retain a great reading experience on its apps, otherwise consumers may be tempted to jump over to e-books from iTunes. The new iPad’s ultra-sharp display will make reading text on the tablet practically indistinguishable from reading text on paper (aside from that darn backlight).

You can expect plenty of big iOS apps to see updates over the next few days, thanks to the launch of the new iPad on Friday. I’m personally excited to see Netflix and Hulu make the jump to HD video on the iPad — something that wasn’t possible before because of the low resolution screens of past iPads.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Those glorious geeks at iFixit have gotten their hands on Apple’s new iPad, and are currently in the midst of tearing it apart to reveal its lovely innards.

So far, the site has confirmed that the new iPad is rocking a Samsung LCD, judging by its model number (a sign that we could see similarly high-res screens in Samsung’s devices soon).

Don’t be surprised if you have trouble accessing iFixit right now though, as the site’s live teardown is also tearing apart its servers. On Twitter, iFixit said: “We have never received anywhere close to this much traffic before; we’re adding servers like crazy.”

Thus far, the site has managed to take off the iPad’s screen and has found its way into the tablet’s logic board, revealing the Apple A5X processor above. Just like its predecessors, the A5X was manufactured by Samsung. The site also found that the chip was manufactured in the first week of 2012.

This is where teardowns get really interesting, because we may learn something new from one of the many chips on the logic board.

Other notable chips include the Broadcom BCM4330, which handles Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the Qualcomm RTR8600 for LTE, and the Broadcom BCM5973 I/O controller (which Apple has used previously in A4 and A5 devices).

We’ll be updating this post as iFixit’s teardown continues, check back for updates.

Via The Verge

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Apple, you’ve got some splainin’ to do. The new iPad, which will be released tomorrow, does not allow FaceTime video chat using 4G LTE networks, according to a report by The Verge.

Former CEO Steve Jobs said that FaceTime would be Wi-Fi only in 2010 when it was introduced at WWDC 2010. “We need to work a little bit with the cellular providers to get ready for the future, so we’re Wi-Fi only in 2010,” he said at the time. In theory, the company was waiting for better network connections to support video chat before allowing it over more than just Wi-Fi. But that doesn’t seem to be the case, even with powerful 4G LTE speeds.

Verizon Wireless and AT&T’s 4G LTE speeds are significantly faster than anything their respective 3G networks can cook up, so video chat should work fine in those markets that have LTE. Verizon expects to cover 260 million Americans with LTE by the end of the year. AT&T, on the other hand, plans to cover 150 million Americans by the end of 2012.

What’s especially frustrating is that the new iPad allows you to create a Wi-Fi hotspot for other devices, such as an iPhone 4S. Using an iPhone 4S over an iPad-created hotspot would allow you to run FaceTime using a 4G connection all the same.

Apple did not immediately respond with a comment. (And in this case, we don’t expect them to.)

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

With one day left until Apple’s new iPad launches, review embargoes on the tablet have lifted, and geeks everywhere are getting their panties in a twist.

Not surprisingly, reviewers have gone head-over-heels for the new iPad’s ultra-high resolution Retina Display and its built-in 4G LTE capabilities. While there are other improvements in the tablet, like it’s quad-core graphics A5X chip and better camera, it’s the screen and LTE that steal the show as the most significant upgrades.

Apple’s new iPad goes on sale in stores at 8 a.m. Friday morning, and the wise shoppers who pre-ordered the tablet will also start receiving their shipments in time for the weekend.

Here’s Daring Fireball’s John Gruber on how the new iPad handles text:

Reading on the big retina display is pure joy. Going back to the iPad 2 after reading for a few hours on the iPad 3 is jarring. With bigger pixels, anti-aliased text looks blurry; with smaller pixels, anti-aliased text looks good; but with really small pixels like these, anti-aliased text looks impossibly good — and what you thought looked pretty good before (like text rendered on older iPads) now looks blurry.

Not everyone considers the new iPad a computing revolution though. David Pogue of the New York Times, who is often criticized for being a major Apple fan, didn’t think the tablet was a major upgrade over the iPad 2:

Really, the new iPad should have been called the iPad 2S. In the past, Apple added the letter S to iPhone models that weren’t exactly new but had been tastefully enhanced (iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4S). That’s exactly what’s going on with the new iPad. Its technical improvements keep it at the forefront of desirability — just ahead of the snapping jaws of its Android competition — but don’t take it in any new directions.

The Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg was impressed with the iPad’s 4G LTE speed (and he wasn’t the only one):

On Verizon’s network in Washington and Austin, Texas, I averaged LTE download speeds of over 17 megabits per second, faster than most home wired networks. A colleague using a new iPad on AT&T’s LTE network averaged over 12 mbps. My iPad 2 running Verizon’s 3G network averaged just over 1 mbps.

For people who bought an iPad 2 in the past year, Joshua Topolsky at the Verge doesn’t think the new iPad is a must-have upgrade:

For owners of the iPad 2, this isn’t necessarily a slam dunk. While the updated features are boon to the new iPad, it doesn’t offer an experience that is significantly different from the previous version. If your screen never bothered you, and you never wanted a faster cellular connection or a better camera, there’s not a great argument to upgrade (especially considering many of you just shelled out for a new tablet less than a year ago).

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Attention Apple fans: Better wake up early on Friday if you want a chance at grabbing a new iPad. Apple retail stores will open at 8 a.m. to accommodate the rush of people looking to get their hands on Apple’s newest device, the company announced today.

As of last Friday, Apple sold through its entire online stock of new iPads. So, the only way to get one soon is to line up. And if you don’t feel like getting one on launch day, you will have to wait at least two to three weeks for an online-placed delivery. Consumers and businesses alike are interested in picking up the new device, thanks to improvements like high-resolution Retina Display, 4G networking, a better graphics chip and voice dictation.

In addition to the Apple Store, various models of the new iPad will also be available at Best Buy, Radio Shack, Sam’s Club, Target and Walmart. Verizon and AT&T stores will also be selling the new iPad, but only 4G LTE models. Verizon and AT&T will let you buy a device in their stores without buying a data plan, but those models are more expensive than their Wi-Fi only counterparts.

The cheapest model, like previous iPads, will run $499 for the 16GB edition with Wi-Fi only. On the other end of the spectrum, the most expensive iPad will run $829 for 64GB of storage, Wi-Fi, and 4G LTE connectivity.

Man using iPad screenshot: Apple video

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

You can feel free to hate the geeks at the Vietnamese site Tinhte.vn, who always seem to get their hands on new Apple products early.

The site has published the first unboxing video for Apple’s new iPad, and while it doesn’t seem all that different from unwrapping past iPads, it’s still fun to live vicariously through the thrill of Tinhte.vn’s crew.

The site also published the first official benchmarks from the new iPad, which confirms that it now sports 1 gigabyte of RAM (double the iPad 2′s amount), while its CPU clock speed remains at 1 gigahertz. The RAM upgrade makes sense when you consider the new iPad’s 2048 by 1536 Retina Display — a resolution that will require lots of additional memory to handle games and complex apps.

Even though its CPU speed is the same as the iPad 2, the new iPad features faster quad-core graphics, which makes it better suited for games and apps using computer graphics.

Using the Geekbench benchmarking app, Tinhte.vn found that the new iPad had a Geekbench score of 756. Curiously, running the same benchmark on my iPad 2 landed it a score of 764. Perhaps a future version of Geekbench will be able to show how the new iPad is faster (likely when it comes to games), but it looks like the core processing speed is the same.

Check out the unboxing video below (in Vietnamese).

Via MacRumors

VentureBeat is holding its second annual MobileSummit this April 2-3 in Sausalito, Calif. The invitation-only event will debate the five key business and technology challenges facing the mobile industry today, and participants — 180 mobile executives, investors, and policymakers — will develop concrete, actionable solutions that will shape the future of themobile industry. You can find out more at our Mobile Summit site.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Along with an ultra-high resolution Retina Display, quad-core graphics, and LTE, Apple’s new iPad may also feature a major memory upgrade of 1 gigabyte of RAM, sources tell the Verge.

Apple has actively avoided playing too much of a specification battle with its iOS devices, choosing instead to focus on upgrades that consumers will see more immediately. But the RAM upgrade makes sense when you consider the new iPad’s 2048 by 1536 Retina Display — a resolution that will require lots of additional memory to handle games and complex apps.

If true, the news means the new iPad has double the memory of the iPad 2′s 512MB of RAM and four times more memory than the original iPad’s 256MB RAM. Coupled with the new iPad’s A5X processor, which adds quad-core graphics (and we assume a slightly faster CPU), and it seems like Apple’s tablet won’t have any trouble chewing on 1080p video or graphics-rich games.

VentureBeat is holding its second annual MobileSummit this April 2-3 in Sausalito, Calif. The invitation-only event will debate the five key business and technology challenges facing the mobile industry today, and participants — 180 mobile executives, investors, and policymakers — will develop concrete, actionable solutions that will shape the future of themobile industry. You can find out more at our Mobile Summit site.