Apple have today, at around 6.15pm GMT, announced their brand new iPad. This brings an end to the traditional months of rumours and speculation surrounding a new Apple device. So, what features are on the finished article?

A5X Processor – The boost up

to the A5X processor, the part that had been leaked a few weeks ago, gives the new iPad a quad-core status, matching Asus’s new Transformer Prime and a host of other new big-name tablets.

Retina Display – The new iPad is all about the retina display. Featuring an incredible 2048 x 1536 resolution screen, this screen is like holding a HDTV in your hands – and more (with full HD actually being the much lower resolution of 1920 x 1080).

5-Megapixel Camera – The 5-megapixel camera on the iPad finally brings the tablet to more than just an Internet browsing device. It will be able to take high quality pictures and also film videos in full 1080p HD. The new iPad is a multimedia experience, not just a tablet.

Slightly different shape – The backing on the iPad is ever so slightly more tapered than that of the iPad 2. This is because Apple have had to use slightly larger parts in order to get the retina screen so high quality. The changes really aren’t that significant though, with many probably not being able to tell the difference – with just 0.6mm difference in thickness, and also a tiny bit heavier.

There are also lots of new features regarding applications, multi-touch gestures and swipes, but none of that is what everyone was waiting for – the new name! It’s official, the new iPad is called: iPad.

So, what was missing from the iPad launch? Well, there were rumours floating around about an 8-megapixel camera, so that is slightly disappointing. There were also late rumours today about a Haptic technology screen, where users could feel different textures through the screen. Maybe it was a little late in the day for that to come true.

This is a guest article written by Luke Jordan of GearZap.com. GearZap are the number one place to pick up iPad 3 Accessories, including a large iPad 3 case range.