The revamped device, which is available in both black and white, was announced by Apple CEO Steve Jobs who returned from sick leave for the occasion.
Contrasting the success of the first generation iPad with the disappointing sales announced by some competitors, Jobs said: “While others have been scrambling to copy the first generation iPad, we’re launching iPad 2, which moves the bar far ahead of the competition and will likely cause them to go back to the drawing boards yet again”.
The new iPad boasts a thinner, lighter design and the and the disappointing black case of the original has been replaced with Smart Covers which attach to the device via a magnetic hinge.
Jobs confirmed the new model would run the latest version of Apple’s iOS operating system which would also be available for existing users to download later this month.
The software promises “faster Safari mobile browsing performance” and enhancements to AirPlay which allows video and audio to be wirelessly ‘pushed’ to Apple’s TV product, plus the ability to choose whether to use the iPad side switch to lock screen rotation or mute audio
Two popular Mac packages – GarageBand and iMovie – will also come to the iPad as apps available to buy from the App Store.
The iPad 2 goes on sale in the UK from March 25th and both Orange and T-Mobile have confirmed they’ll be offering models with a 3G contract.