Apple unveils faster, sharper-screen iPad

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SAN FRANCISCO, March 7 (UPI) -- Apple has announced its next iPad, focusing on a high-definition screen it says is dramatically sharper than the one in the existing iPad 2.

"It is amazing," Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said in San Francisco in unveiling the new generation of the company's tablet computer.

"We've taken it to a whole new level, and we are redefining the category that Apple created with the original iPad."

The new iPad's 9.7-inch display screen is a "retina display" of 2047 by 1536 pixels, compared with the current model's 1024 by 768 pixels, CNN reported Wednesday.

"Your retina in your eye cannot discern those individual pixels," Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller said. "The images on it look stunning."

The new iPad also features a faster processor, he said, but will have the same 10-hour battery life as the old iPad.

The iPad, to be offered in both a white version and one in black, will cost the same as the iPad 2, Apple announced, and will run on 4G LTE networks.

Two versions of the new 1.4-pound iPad will be offered to run on the networks of U.S. carriers AT&T and Verizon.

Video-recording capability has been bumped up to 1080p, Apple said.

The new model could be available in Apple stores March 16, Wireless and Mobile News reported.