iPad 2 unboxing

It’s taken some time for us to get our hands on the ‘hottest tablet of 2011’ (copyright Apple Corp) but now it’s finally here, in our hands.

The iPad 2 is Apple’s first device to use the new A5, 1GHz dual-core processor, capable of speeds that are significantly faster than its predecessor while maintaining the same long battery life.

But you’re not here for a spec run-down. You’re here to see what kind of attractive packaging it’s been placed in (and maybe a glimpse of how it looks when it's switched on).

Imagine your hands are my hands, your eyes are my camera’s lens, and come with us on an unboxing adventure.

This is the box that we will be unboxing. Look how pearly white it is. I wonder what's inside?

Woah - it's an iPad 2! Who'd have thought?

Where did it go? What happened to the iPad? Oh god, Rob's going to kill me.

Phew! Found it. As you can see, from the front it looks a lot like the old iPad, albeit with the new front-facing camera for FaceTime.

Hello, there's another camera at the top. Volume and screen lock buttons on the left side, there.

The bottom is steadfastly traditional. No USB or extra SD card slots for you.

And now the top - headphone socket, strip thing (technical term), and power switch. Note that the power switch is placed on the curve this time around, rather than sitting off the top of the device as with the iPad 1.

One quick reinstall of iTunes on my laptop later (nearly twenty minutes in real-time), and the iPad 2 is go! This the default layout of apps - doesn't it look neat and tidy?

That stand you see there is actually the smart cover in its native environment - magnetically clipped to the side of the iPad. This is the posture of choice for watching films or putting a slide show on.

This, however, is the prime position for typing out messages or watching videos while suspended from the ceiling. Told you it was smart.