* Dual-core A5 processors to improve speed — graphics will run up to 9x faster while using the same battery life.
* Front and rear-facing cameras. Rear camera is 720p resolution, front is “VGA quality” — it’s meant to be used for Facetime chat primarily, so quality isn’t that big a deal.
* Gyroscope for position-based apps.
* 33% thinner than the first iPad at 0.34″. It’s 9.5″ high and 7.3″ wide.
* Lighter, at 1.33 pounds versus 1.6 pounds for the current iPad.
* Starts at the same price: $499. So it won’t be dramatically cheaper as some had proposed. It also comes in the same models as the current version: Wi-Fi and 3G (Verizon or AT&T) in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB sizes.
* It ships on March 11 in the U.S. — that’s less than two weeks away. March 25 in the rest of the world.