Hasta La Gadget!

iFixit may have physically uncovered Apple’s latest silicon, but it’s the processor gurus that have discovered what’s truly inside — using software benchmarks, they’ve unearthed the speeds and feeds of the Apple A5. As you’ll no doubt be aware having read our headline above, there actually isn’t a 1GHz CPU at the helm, as AnandTech and IOSnoops report the dual-core ARM chip is dynamically clocked around 900MHz, likely in search of reduced power consumption. Perhaps more interestingly for all you gamers in the audience, the iPad 2 reports that it has a dual-core PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU on the die as originally foretold — and, spoiler alert — it mops the floor with both the original iPad and the Motorola Xoom. Though the new chip didn’t quite demonstrate 9X the graphical prowess of its predecessor, it rendered 57.6 frames per second in a GLBenchmark test where the (admittedly higher-res) Tegra 2 tablet managed only 26.7fps, and last year’s iPad pulled only 17.6fps. That’s some serious Tai Chi. Hit up our source links to see the difference it can make in games like Infinity Blade.

Update: Though it sure sounds like there’s a dual-core ARM Cortex A9 in there, that’s not yet a proven fact — we only know that it’s a dual-core ARM v7 chip which performs relatively similarly in non-graphical tests. [Thanks, Jim]

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

iPad 2 specs discerned, 900MHz dual-core ARM CPU and PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU blow away graphical benchmarks originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 Mar 2011 20:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now that many of you have collected and used your second generation iPad tablets for a few hours, we’re starting to see the inevitable reports of defects. Thus far, two issues have bubbled to the surface. The first issue — yellow spots beneath the LCD glass — is reminiscent of the same fresh-from-the-factory iPhone 4 issue that resolved itself just as soon as the bonding agent used for the LCD glass had time to evaporate. The second issue, which is being conflated with the first, is characterized by light bleeding through from the outer edges of the LCD panel. The bleeding is most noticeable when watching a dark scene in a movie or using an app with a black background as demonstrated in the picture above and video embedded after the break. For those affected, the issue can be minimized or exacerbated by adjusting the brightness in settings. So what say you dear reader, are you also a bleeder?

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[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Poll: is your iPad 2 backlight bleeding? (video)

Poll: is your iPad 2 backlight bleeding? (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 Mar 2011 08:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It only took a few short hours for iFixit to get its hands on an iPad 2 (the WiFi variety), and of course, they immediately started to tear it apart. It’s a necessarily delicate task, but they’re making progress as we speak, and here are the first things that jump out to us: there is much less open space inside the iPad 2 than the original model, and the battery is very large. There aren’t any huge surprises in here internally yet, but it’s got the 1GHz A5 CPU, 512MB of RAM, and 16GB of Toshiba TH58NVG7D2FLA89 NAND Flash. Like we said, they’re still at it with this one, and we’ll update as they do. Until then, hit up the source for all the photos.

Update: And they’re done! Head over to check out all the shots of the iPad 2 in its exposed form, but don’t try it out on your own. The new glass adhesion makes it practically impossible to open this thing without shattering the screen, so the crew will be working hard for a better solution. Vid’s after the break, though.

Continue reading iFixit has an iPad 2, and they’re ripping it apart (video)

iFixit has an iPad 2, and they’re ripping it apart (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 19:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading iPad 2 line watch: the few, the proud, the soaking wet (updating)

iPad 2 line watch: the few, the proud, the soaking wet (updating) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you occupy the planet Earth, you’re probably aware that last week saw the unveiling of the iPad2. During said reveal, Steve Jobs made a couple of other, perhaps not as monumental, but no doubt notable announcements: specifically that the new slate will offer iMovie and GarageBand. Well, it looks like they’ve decided to let the cats, or apps, as it were, out of the bag a day early. That’s right, Mac movie makers and rock star hopefuls can download them now for $5 a pop — and, this just in, it looks like iMovie for iPhone’s getting a simultaneous upgrade. If you’ve already started rockin’ or docin’, let us know what you think in the comments.

GarageBand and iMovie come to iPad, iPhone gets iMovie refresh originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 15:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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