Calling the new iPad “the new iPad” doesn’t seem like revolutionary marketing (and maybe a tad confusing), but today’s Apple event ushered in the latest version of the popular tablet (starting at $499), while also announcing an even more competitive price for the iPad 2 — $399 for the Wi-Fi only version. If you can get into the Apple Store, pre-orders for the new iPad are available ahead of its official release date of March 16.

Photo: Courtesy of Apple

So what exactly are you getting in the new iPad? Primarily, a whole lot of screen — the Retina display boasts a resolution of 2,048 x 1,536 pixels — more than any other laptop or desktop currently on the market, or, as Apple puts it, that’s 44 percent greater color saturation, 3.1 million pixels — “four times the number of pixels in iPad 2 and a million more than an HDTV.” The design is virtually identical to the iPad 2: 9.5 inches tall and 7.31 inches wide, 0.37 inch thick, and, weighing 1.5 pounds.

Here are the feature highlights:

  • 5-megapixel camera with 1080p video recording
  • Upgraded A5X processor with quad-core graphics
  • 4G LTE models available with prices for 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB at $629, $729, and $829, respectively
  • Can serve as a personal hotspot for up to five devices (dependent on carrier support)
  • 10-hour battery life; up to 9 hours using the 4G LTE network

Round-up: