Apple iPad 2 to launch in UK on March 25th

There are two colours to choose from, with both black and white shipping (in the US at least) from day one. There was no word on which 3G providers would be supporting the iPad 2 in the UK.

Battery life has the same claimed 10 hour battery life, which is impressive given the thinner, lighter body. It should last a month in standby. The price has not increased, meaning the base model will cost $499 in the US. It isn’t yet possible to pre-order the iPad 2 in the UK, and no prices have been announced, but we hope Apple will keep the price match for UK models as well. There are 16, 32, and 64GB options in both WiFi and WiFi + 3G models. Shipping will begin on March 25th in the UK, which is earlier than we expected, and beats many of Android tablet manufacturers, who are mostly yet to announce launch dates, or prices for that matter.

Accessories will include an HDMI video output cable, which will support video up to 1080p. It will deliver a mirror image of the iPad screen to a TV or projector, and allow the iPad 2 to be charged at the same time thanks to a passthrough connector.

So-called Smart Covers were designed to avoid the need for a case, which would cover up the “beautiful design” of the new iPad. There are 5 leather colours, and 5 in polyurethane – the material used for space suits. Again, prices are yet to be announced for the UK, but are $69 and $39 respectively.

They’re certainly clever, waking up the iPad 2 when you open it and putting it to sleep when you close it. Magnets in the hinge grasp and auto-align the cover so it’s always in perfect alignment. The idea is that it adds minimal weight and thickness, and only covers the screen – not the rear. It can also be folded into a triangle to provide a typing stand, but you can also use it in upright in landscape mode, potentially for watching videos.