- Title: UNITED KINGDOM/USA: Analysts and technology journalists welcome new iPad
- Date: 3rd March 2011
- Summary: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM (MARCH 2, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MEDIA AND ANALYSTS LOOKING AT IPAD 2 DEVICES (SOUNDBITE) (English) STAN NG, APPLE SPOKESMAN SAYING: "Well, one of the first things you'll notice about the iPad 2 is that its 33 percent thinner and 15 percent lighter in your hand than the first generation iPad. Were really excited about that because it gives a good feel to be able to take it with you on the go. The other thing you'll notice about the new iPad 2 is that we added cameras to it so you've got a front-facing camera which will be perfect for Facetime video calls and you've got a back camera that allows you to capture HD video on the go." VARIOUS VIEWS OF PEOPLE LOOKING AT NEW IPAD (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANDREW LIM, RECOMBU EDITOR SAYING: "I think one of the notable things was seeing Steve Jobs on the stage, that was incredible and then the iPad 2 was really brilliant. I think they really did it They've done it again." ANALYST SARAH CARROLL SPEAKING TO REUTERS CORRESPONDENT (SOUNDBITE) (English) SARAH CARROLL, FUTURESOURCE CONSULTING DIRECTOR SAYING: "I think they break ground yet again. The design is phenomenal. There were a lot of complaints that maybe it was too heavy but this new design is very light and thinner which is a big step forward. I think applications such as Facetime, the product is perfect the screen quality, the size of the screen. So it's just really upping the game in terms of the apps that are available and the design." ANALYST BEN WOOD SPEAKING TO REUTERS CORRESPONDENT (SOUNDBITE) (English) BEN WOOD, CCS INSIGHT DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH SAYING: "The biggest surprise today was the appearance of Steve Jobs on the stage. There was a gasp among the audience when he arrived. And this shows how much this product means to him personally given that he's on an extended medical leave right now." WHITE IPAD (SOUNDBITE) (English) BEN WOOD, CCS INSIGHT DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH SAYING: "Apple still dominates. Our figures right now show that it's sustaining about 80 % of the market. There's only been one big challenge so far and that was the Samsung Galaxy tab which was heavily discounted to push it through the channel. The other product like Motorola Zoom only just started shipping in the last few days, so it's really to early to tell." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE LOOKING AT IPADS
- Embargoed: 18th March 2011 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa, United Kingdom
- City:
- Country: USA
- Topics: Communications,Science / Technology
- Reuters ID: LVADJEE8SV37N2MD3DQK2K07FXO3
- Story Text: A thin but energetic Steve Jobs made a surprise return to the spotlight on Wednesday (March 2), taking the stage to unveil Apple Inc's new iPad and drawing a standing ovation.
The Silicon Valley legend has been out on medical leave since late January and his reappearance, in trademark turtleneck and jeans, bolstered Apple shares and reassured investors and fans worried about his health.
Defying speculation in some tabloid reports that he was at death's door, Jobs took swipes at rivals and mocked competing tablet computers.
Striding back and forth across the stage at the Yerba Buena Center, Jobs spoke passionately about the iPad 2's features as No. 2 and heir apparent Tim Cook looked on.
"So, what is iPad2? What have we learned? What can we improve? Well, it is an all new design. It is not a tweaked design. Its not got marginal improvements. Its a completely new design. The first thing is, its dramatically faster. We have a new chip, we call A5. Our chip wizards have come up with this and its great" said Jobs.
In the run-up to the event, there had been almost as much speculation about whether Jobs would appear as there was about the device itself. Jobs, who has been treated for a rare form of pancreatic cancer, had been on indefinite medical leave for an undisclosed condition.
At an event in London, media and analysts were invited to watch a video feed of the announcement from California.
Apple spokesman Stan Ng spoke about iPad 2's new features.
"Well, one of the first things you'll notice about the iPad 2 is that its 33 percent thinner and 15 percent lighter in your hand than the first generation iPad," explained Ng.
"The other thing you'll notice about the new iPad 2 is that we added cameras to it so you've got a front-facing camera which will be perfect for Facetime video calls and you've got a back camera that allows you to capture HD video on the go," Ng said.
Analysts and media commentators seemed in agreement that Jobs' appearance was as noteworthy as the new device itself, but that competitors will now have an even tougher challenge competing with Apple which dominates the tablet market.
"I think one of the notable things was seeing Steve Jobs on the stage," said Andrew Lim, editor of mobile blog Recombu.
"Then the iPad 2 was really brilliant. I think they really did it They've done it again."
"I think they're breaking ground yet again," agreed Sarah Carroll, director of Futuresource consulting. "It's just really upping the game in terms of the apps that are available and the design."
Apple sold nearly 15 million iPads in nine months of 2010, two or three times as many as analysts had predicted. The company is expected to sell 30 million or more this year, which would generate close to $20 billion in sales.
That is despite a growing cast of competitors like Motorola, Research in Motion and Hewlett-Packard Co.
Ben Wood, director of research for CCS Insight told Reuters TV: "Our figures right now show that (Apple) is sustaining about 80 % of the market. There's only been one big challenge so far and that was the Samsung Galaxy tab which was heavily discounted.
"The other product like Motorola Zoom only just started shipping in the last few days, so it's really to early to tell," he said.
The $499 iPad 2 is thinner than the iPhone 4, twice as fast as the last tablet, camera-equipped, and ships March 11 in the United States and then March 25 in 26 more countries. The surprisingly fast roll-out highlights the fierce competition in the tablet market.
Shares of Cupertino, California-based Apple were up 1.2 percent at $353.44 on Nasdaq late Wednesday afternoon.
Tablets are seen as a must-have device for consumers and many businesses over the next few years. Analysts expect the market to surge to more than 50 million units this year, and 200 million units by 2015. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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