MacRumors

With Apple having most yesterday to slash prices on the first-generation iPad models by $100 to clear stock ahead of next week's debut of the second-generation iPad, Electricpig.co.uk reports that Apple will indeed issue a refund for the price difference to customers who recently purchased iPads, as long as they file within the 14-day return window.

We were assured by Apple's sales team that Apple would just refund the £100 price difference, without any complicated returns and exchanges, so you can take advantage of the price drop on the original iPad. Good news! The catch is that you'll need to be within the 14-day returns window, which doesn't leave much wiggle room for those outside of that window. You'll also need your receipt.

The policy is a standard one outlined in Apple's sales policies:

Should Apple reduce its price on any shipped product within 14 calendar days of shipment, you may contact Apple Store Customer Service at 1-800-676-2775 to request a refund or credit of the difference between the price you were charged and the current selling price. To receive the refund or credit you must contact Apple within 14 calendar days of the price change.

The policy is obviously in place to simplify things for both Apple and its customers, as customers could return their original purchase within the 14-day window and repurchase a new one at the lower price. The refund policy eliminates the hassle for both sides, and also allows customers who have personalized their iPads and would thus be unable to return them to also receive the lower price.

Fresh on the heels of confirmation that AT&T will support personal hotspot functionality for the iPhone 4 when the feature debuts with iOS 4.3 next week, the carrier today also announced the launch of new postpaid subscription data plans for tablet devices such as the iPad.

Like the prepaid options that have been offered until now and continue to be offered, the new data plans do not require a contract and offer the same options of $14.99 per month for 250 MB and $25 per month for 2 GB. For a limited time, the carrier is offering the first month free for customers signing up for 2 GB subscription plans.

AT&T today introduced convenient new postpaid billing options for tablets. Beginning today, customers can choose between AT&T's existing prepaid billing options or the new postpaid plans. The new plans can be added to customers' existing monthly wireless statements, offering the simplicity of a single monthly bill. For a limited time, customers who activate a new postpaid $25/2 GB plan will receive the first month free.

The new postpaid billing option will be available across AT&T retail locations, as well as att.com, Best Buy, Fry's, select Nexcom locations, and Walmart stores nationwide.

Tablet plans cover 30-day periods, with overages for postpaid customers charged at $10 per GB.

While the new offering come in at the same price points as the prepaid options, the option of delaying payment by shifting from prepaid to postpaid can be enticing, and shifting billing onto a customer's existing wireless bill from AT&T can simplify payment and record-keeping procedures for customers.

Several weeks ago, we reported that AT&T iPhone customers with access to iOS 4.3 beta versions were finding that the personal hotspot functionality was working with their existing tethering plans, but the carrier had yet to offer any official word on whether it would support the functionality once the software launched to the general public.

Electronista now reports that AT&T has indeed confirmed that it will support personal hotspot functionality on existing tethering plans with the public launch of iOS 4.3 on March 11th. Hotspot functionality will require that users have the $25/month DataPro plan with 2 GB of data plus the $20/month add-on tethering plan that the carrier recently augmented with an additional 2 GB of data capacity.

AT&T on Wednesday night confirmed with Electronista that it would start supporting the Personal Hotspot feature in sync with the launch of iOS 4.3. Subscribers will have the same support as Verizon customers when the update pushes out to the GSM iPhone 4 on March 11. Pricing should stay the same as for basic tethering and will need its new DataPro hotspot/tethering plan, which combines 4GB of total data with connection sharing for $45.

While the personal hotspot functionality is included in iOS 4.3, it does require carriers to specifically support the feature. Given that AT&T has been slow to adopt similar features such as tethering in the past, some customers had been concerned that the carrier would not offer hotspot services at launch.

Verizon is already able to offer hotspot functionality with its version of the iPhone, pricing its plans in a package of unlimited phone data for $29.99 per month with a separate 2 GB bucket of data for hotspot and tethering priced at an additional $20 per month. The carrier is, however, planning to drop its unlimited plan in favor of tiered pricing this summer, although tethering/hotspot add-ons will presumably continue under a similar pricing structure.

Earlier this week, we noted that Apple had prepped its employees for a rollout of a new support program known as "Joint Venture" targeting small businesses. The program has now officially launched and is essentially in line with what had been reported earlier based on retail store briefings.

Joint Venture is a program designed to help you use Mac, iPhone, and iPad to improve the way your business runs. We'll set up your new Apple products, train your employees to get the most out of them, and make sure everything stays working with dedicated support.

Coverage starts at $499 per year for up to five systems, with coverage for additional systems available for $99 per year each.

Apple advertises that the program offers a number of features, including setup of new systems with software installation and data transfer, as well as initial training to make sure users are ready to go. Ongoing training is also a key part of the program, with companies able to schedule up to three two-hour training sessions per year for their employees, working with Apple staff to customize the hands-on workshops to improve productivity. New employees can also take advantage of "Getting Started" workshops to make sure they're up to speed.

On the support side of things, Joint Venture offers "unprecedented access" to Genius Bar support, with telephone consultations, priority access to in-store appointments, and loaner notebooks (MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs) to keep things moving while machines are in for repair. Finally, businesses will have their own Joint Venture portal where they can access information on their systems and their employees can schedule support services.

Apple posted the QuickTime video for today's iPad 2 keynote address. Steve Jobs made a surprise appearance at the event and hosted the keynote.

The announcements included:

- Apple Releases iTunes 10.2
- Apple Announces iPad 2: A5 Dual Core, 2 Cameras, Thinner
- Apple to Launch iMovie and Garageband for iPad on March 11th
- iOS 4.3 to Launch on March 11th

Hot on the heels of the iPad 2 announcement, Apple today released iTunes 10.2. The update brings compatibility with iOS 4.3 and improved home sharing support for browsing iTunes libraries from iOS 4.3 devices, despite the fact that iOS 4.3 doesn't launch publicly until March 11th.

What's new in iTunes 10.2

- Sync with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 4.3.

- Improved Home Sharing. Browse and play from your iTunes libraries with Home Sharing on any iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 4.3.

For information on the security content of this update, please visit: support.apple.com/kb/HT1222

The new iTunes 10.2 update is available via Software Update or from Apple's iTunes download page.

Now that the dust is settling from the major announcements today, we've compiled a list of few smaller items of interest from today's media event.

- iPad 2 Microphone: With the second-generation iPad, Apple moved the microphone from next to the headphone jack to the center of the device's top edge. The change explains the "mystery port" seen on cases that surfaced as early as mid-January.

- No iOS 4.3 for Verizon iPhone: As noted by Apple during the media event and on the iOS preview page, iOS 4.3 is compatible with both iPad generations, third- and fourth-generation iPod touch models, the iPhone 3GS, and the iPhone 4 GSM model. The list excludes the CDMA version of the iPhone introduced on Verizon earlier this year, which debuted with iOS 4.2.6.

While iOS 4.2.6 contains some of the features found in iOS 4.3 such as personal hotspot functionality, other features such as Safari and AirPlay improvements are not yet found on the Verizon iPhone. It is currently unknown why the Verizon iPhone will not be seeing an update to iOS 4.3 alongside the other devices.

- iMovie and GarageBand Compatibility: According to Apple's iMovie page, the new universal iMovie application for iOS will be compatible with the iPad 2, iPhone 4, and fourth-generation iPod touch, but not the original iPad. The new GarageBand application for iPad will, however, be compatible with both first- and second-generation iPad devices, according to Apple engineer Danny Patterson.

At today's media event, Apple introduced a revamped universal version of its iMovie application for iOS devices, bringing compatibility to the iPad for the first time. The company also unveiled a brand-new GarageBand application for the iPad. The new apps will be priced at $4.99 each and will be available alongside the March 11th launch of the iPad 2.

iMovie allows users to shoot video directly from the iPad and have it appear right in the application for easy editing. With new themes and still photo support, users can easily drag-and-drop footage, photos, and text to quickly create high-quality video right on their tablet devices. With a Precision Editor built right into the timeline on the iPad, clip management is straightforward and simple.

Other new features include sound effects, audio waveforms, multiple audio tracks for easy voiceovers, and new tools for sharing to the web, among devices, and via AirPlay.

GarageBand for iPad offers libraries of virtual instruments with both simple touch and more complex "smart" functionalities to allow users to sound like expert musicians with simple gestures. Recording studio functionality allows users to mix together various tracks, with various amps and effects to adjust the sound of individual instruments. The new GarageBand also includes a number of sharing tools to allow users to export their work via email or to their iTunes libraries. GarageBand for iPad is also compatible with the Mac version of GarageBand, allowing for easy movement of projects between devices.

With the announcement of the iPad 2 at a media event today, Apple has reduced prices on first-generation iPad models in its online store. The new prices are available through a special clearance page. Each model has been reduced by $100, bringing the price for the entry level 16 GB Wi-Fi-only iPad to $399 and the most expensive 64 GB Wi-Fi + 3G model down to $729 from its original price of $829.

Refurbished first-generation iPads are also currently available at the time of this post, offering prices even lower than the clearance levels. A refurbished 16 GB Wi-Fi iPad 1 is priced at $349, while a refurbished 64 GB Wi-Fi + 3G iPad 1 is $659. Refurbished iPads are available in Apple's U.S. online store here.

Apple announced today during their iPad 2 keynote, that iOS 4.3 will be arriving on March 11th with a number of new features. iOS 4.3 includes a faster Safari browser, iTunes Home Sharing, AirPLay enhancements, iPad side switch preference (rotate or mute), and the Personal Hotspot feature for iPhone 4.

"With more than 160 million iOS devices worldwide, including over 100 million iPhones, the growth of the iOS platform has been unprecedented," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "iOS 4.3 adds even more features to the world's most advanced mobile operating system, across three blockbuster devices--iPad, iPhone and iPod touch--providing an ecosystem that offers customers an incredibly rich experience and developers unlimited opportunities."

The new features are detailed here:

- Faster Safari - The Nitro JavaScript engine that Apple pioneered on the desktop is now built into WebKit, the technology at the heart of Safari, and more than doubles the performance of JavaScript execution using just-in-time compilation.
- iTunes Home Sharing - allows iOS 4.3 users to play music, movies and TV shows on an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch from their iTunes library on a Mac or PC over a local Wi-Fi network.
- Enhancements to AirPlay - With iOS 4.3 you can stream additional content including video from third party apps and web sites, videos from the Photos app and previews from the iTunes app to your TV
- Personal Hotspot - This feature in iOS 4.3 lets you bring Wi-Fi with you anywhere you go, by allowing you to share an iPhone 4 cellular data connection with up to five devices in a combination of up to three Wi-Fi, three Bluetooth and one USB device.

iOS 4.3 is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 GSM, 3rd Gen iPod Touch, 4th Gen iPod Touch, iPad, and iPad 2. It will be available for download starting on March 11th. The iPhone 4 CDMA (Verizon) seems to be excluded from the compatibility list.

As expected, Apple announced the next generation of its popular tablet device at a media event today. The iPad 2 will have the same 9.7-inch display but will be 33% thinner than the previous model. It will have front-facing and rear-facing cameras and Apple's new 1GHz dual-core A5 processor.

With more than 15 million iPads sold, iPad has defined an entirely new category of mobile devices, said Steve Jobs, Apples CEO. While others have been scrambling to copy the first generation iPad, were launching iPad 2, which moves the bar far ahead of the competition and will likely cause them to go back to the drawing boards yet again.

With the addition of cameras, the next-generation iPad will be capable of making FaceTime calls with other FaceTime-capable devices. The rear-facing camera can capture 720p HD video. Despite its thinner casing, the iPad 2 will have the same battery life as the first generation of 10 hours and 30 days of stand-by time.

The 3G models of the iPad 2 will be compatible with the GSM networks of AT&T and other carriers as well as Verizon's CDMA network. The versions compatible with Verizon's network will be sold in the U.S. only.

Apple has designed new accessories for the next-generation iPad, including cases called Smart Covers and an HDMI adapter. The Smart Covers will attach magnetically to the iPad 2 and will automatically wake the device when opened and put it to sleep when closed.

The iPad 2 will run iOS 4.3 which will be released for other iOS devices on March 11.

The iPad 2 will be available starting March 11 in the U.S. and will come in two colors: white and black. Pricing and capacities have not changed from the first generation of the iPad with the Wi-Fi models coming in at $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, and $699 for 64GB. The Wi-Fi + 3G models will cost $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB, and $829 for 64GB.

Apple today is holding a media event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, where it is widely expected to introduce the next-generation iPad. The event is scheduled to kick off at 10:00 AM Pacific Time / 1:00 PM Eastern Time, or just about an hour from now.

There is still no word on whether Apple will be providing live video as it has for the last several media events, so users should check Apple's site in the lead-up to the event to watch for coverage possibilities. Regardless of Apple's own live coverage plans, a number of news sites will be on hand to provide text and photo updates, and we're including links to several of them here. We will also be updating this article with coverage as the media event unfolds and issuing Twitter updates through our @MacRumorsLive account. Separate news stories regarding the event announcements will go out through our @MacRumors account.

- Engadget
- Ars Technica
- Macworld
- CNET
- The Wall Street Journal
- The Loop

Apple's online stores around the world are currently down in advance of the event.

Recent News and Rumors

- 'The Da Vinci Code' and Other Random House Titles Appearing in iBookstore
- Apple to Launch New 'Social' iOS App Tomorrow?
- Apple's Media Event to See Introduction of iPad 2, Cloud-Based MobileMe?
- Steve Jobs to Appear at Tomorrow's Media Event?
- iPad Showing Up as 'Deleted' in Best Buy Inventories

Event Updates

- Attendees are in the theater and seated. Apple has requested that all electronic devices be silenced.
- Event beginning.

- Steve Jobs on stage to standing ovation. "We have something great to announce today, and I didn't want to miss it."
- First, a few updates.
- iBooks: Over 100 million books downloaded, and today we're adding Random House with 17,000 books. Now over 2,500 publishers in the iBookstore.
- Just crossed 200 million iTunes Store accounts...can be used in three stores: iTunes, App Store, iBookstore.
- Over $2 billion paid out to App Store developers.
- Recently shipped 100 millionth iPhone.
- We're here to talk about our third post-PC blockbuster product. First there was the iPod, then the iPhone, then the iPad. Most of our revenue comes from these products. Recapping iPad launch..."magical" product, unbelieveable price.
- 2010 was the year of the iPad. Sold almost 15 million of them in just nine months. $9.5 billion in revenue...we've never had a product get off to that fast of a start. Over 90% market share, and competitors flummoxed.
- Over 65,000 iPad apps available. Our competitors have at most 100. Our retail stores have been key to the iPad rollout.
- Showing a video talking about the success of the iPad...Phil Schiller, Ron Johnson on-screen talking about the phenomenon. Highlighting iPad use in Chicago schools, hospitals, etc.
- Jobs back on stage. We'd like to build on the success of 2010. What about 2011...year of the copycats?
- Today we're introducing iPad 2. All-new design...not tweaked, not marginal improvements.

- New chip: The Apple A5. Dual-core, up to 2x faster. Graphics up to 9x faster. Same low power as A4. First dual-core tablet to ship in volume.

- Front- and rear-facing cameras, built-in gyroscope, 33% thinner than iPad 1. 8.8 mm vs. 13.4 mm. Also lighter...moves from 1.5 lbs to 1.3 lbs.

- Two colors: black and white. White is shipping from day one. Models for AT&T and Verizon, available from day one. Same 10-hour battery life.
- Same price points, same capacities. Starts at $499, and five of the six models are below competitors' entry-level pricing (Motorola Xoom) of $799.
- Ships March 11th in the U.S., 26 more countries on March 25th.
- HDMI mirrored video out from dock connector...$39 adapter provides up to 1080p for all apps while allowing charging.

- Smart Covers. We did a case for the original iPad, but thought we could do better...it's not a case, but a cover. Bends around and acts as a typing stand. Automatically wakes iPad when opened, sleeps iPad when closed. Magnetic. Polyurethane ($39) or leather ($69) in assorted colors (five of each), easy removal.

- Now on to software: iOS 4.3. Scott Forstall on stage to talk about new features and enhancements.
- iPad 2 comes with iOS 4.3. Significantly faster Safari. JavaScript 2x faster.
- iTunes home sharing...access all music, movies, and TV shows on your home computer from your iOS device, wirelessly over Wi-Fi.
- AirPlay improvements: Built-in slideshow options for photos, Third-party apps and websites can now do video and audio.
- iPad switch now can be used for mute or rotation.
- Personal hotspot: iPhone 4 only...share 3G connection via Wi-Fi to other devices.
- Showing video of smart cover.

- New software. Since the iPad now has cameras, we've added Photo Booth. iPad 2 can serve up nine live video streams to preview effects.
- FaceTime. Works between two iPads, between iPad and iPhone/iPod touch, and between iPad and Mac.
- Demoing iPad FaceTime call.
- iOS 4.3 free download on March 11th.
- Jobs back on stage with two more apps to show off. We like doing apps because it gives us perspective and can set the bar for other developers.

- iMovie for iPad. Precision editor, multitrack audio recording, AirPlay, universal app.
- Randy Ubillos on stage to give demo. Much more useful on iPad with larger screen size. Can record directly into timeline from the camera. Full multitouch control. Major audio improvements: Sound effects, three audio tracks plus background, etc. New themes. Sharing to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, CNN iReport, iTunes.
- $4.99, available in App Store March 11th.

- GarageBand for iPad. Touch instruments, or plug in real instruments, etc. Compatible with Mac version. Xander Soren on stage for demo. Showing off piano...sustain button, dynamic volume response: volume based on how hard you tap, uses accelerometer.
- Showing off synth keyboards, drums, guitars.
- Jobs back on stage. GarageBand launches March 11th, $4.99

- Recapping iPad 2. We think this is going to be the year of iPad 2.
- Now a video.
- Jobs back on stage and wrapping up. Once again talking about marrying technology with the humanities. Looking forward to the post-PC era where hardware and software need to intertwine even more. We think we're on the right path and will be competitive.
- Thanking the teams that have worked on the projects.
- End of presentation...media headed to the hands-on display area.

With Apple's media event scheduled to kick off in under three hours, Apple has taken its online stores around the world offline. The change is standard operating procedure for Apple ahead of major events and new product releases.

The primary focus of today's media event is expected to be the second-generation iPad, a new set of photos of a mockup have been spotted by M.I.C gadget and getting some attention today.

While the device is a physical mockup, it is said to have been based on the actual design of the second-generation iPad, which has been floating around amongst case manufacturers for some time and yielding increasingly-detailed mockups such as this one.

In addition, Your Daily Apple claims that a listing for the second-generation iPad briefly appeared on Amazon's German site, listing a 1.2 GHz processor, camera, Thunderbolt connectivity, and an on-sale date of March 17th. We do not, however, necessarily believe this to be accurate inside information.

Beyond the new iPad, Apple has been rumored to be previewing iOS 5 and revamping MobileMe. Last minute hints of a social-focused MobileMe revamp include claims of some sort of 'social' app for iOS devices, and a trademark filing for "Places" in the area of social networking.

Books from publisher Random House also began appearing in the iBookstore for the first time earlier today, and Apple may offer some discussion of the addition.

Update: iLounge reports that a case cover proximity sensor hinted at in iOS 4.3 may in fact make an appearance in the new iPad in the form of a magnet that could grip the front of folio-style cases and automatically lock and unlock the device. We had previously heard that the rumored proximity sensor might in fact be a magnetic Hall effect sensor.

iLounge also claims that we may not see immediate availability of the new iPad, at least in significant quantities, with volume shipments not expected for 2-4 weeks.

As noted by 9 to 5 Mac, titles from publisher Random House have already started populating Apple's iBookstore, at least in the United States. Popular titles such as Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code that have been absent from the iBookstore since its launch nearly a year ago are now available.

Random House yesterday announced that it has adopted the agency model favored by Apple for e-Book pricing, of course leading many to assume that the publishers content would be making its way to the iBookstore.

Random House is the last of the six largest book publishers to come to the iBookstore, and it seems likely that Apple will make mention of the addition at today's media event.

Back in January, Microsoft filed an objection to Apple's trademark application for the term "App Store", arguing that Apple had usurped a generic term for its trademark, causing confusion and difficulties for other companies seeking to promote their own application marketplaces.

TechFlash now reports that Apple has hit back at Microsoft in the dispute, arguing that Microsoft has failed to prove the generic nature of the term and takes a dig at Microsoft and its own work to secure "Windows" as a non-generic trademark.

In a none-too-subtle dig at its longtime rival, Apple points in part to Microsoft's own defense of one of its most valuable trademarks.

"Having itself faced a decades-long genericness challenge to its claimed WINDOWS mark, Microsoft should be well aware that the focus in evaluating genericness is on the mark as a whole and requires a fact-intensive assessment of the primary significance of the term to a substantial majority of the relevant public," says Apple in the filing. "Yet, Microsoft, missing the forest for the trees, does not base its motion on a comprehensive evaluation of how the relevant public understands the term APP STORE as a whole."

Apple response points directly to the alternative names used by other companies for their own application marketplaces as evidence of the non-generic nature of the "App Store" term, and notes that the company has taken steps to protect the trademark from becoming a generic term by reaching out to entities that have used it improperly.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will now consider the case and determine to grant Microsoft's motion or allow the trademark case to go to trial for a final resolution.

Bloomberg briefly reports on comments from Verizon Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo revealing that the carrier is planning to discontinue its unlimited data plan for the iPhone as soon as this summer.

The carrier, which began selling the iPhone last month, now offers a $30 unlimited data plan on the device. Such plans on the handset are "not a long-term solution," Shammo said on a conference call at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference today.

The unlimited data plan had been positioned as a temporary offering as long ago as late January, before the device's launch, with Verizon Chief Operating Officer Lowell McAdam noting that it would disappear "in the not too distant future".

Existing Verizon customers are of course expected to be able to maintain their unlimited data plans at least through the end of their current contracts, although they may be able to switch to limited data plans at different price points if they so desire.

AT&T, which long offered unlimited data, made a similar shift to tiered data plans last June with the launch of the iPhone 4, although customers with unlimited data plans at the time of the transition have been able to keep their plans. The company has reportedly been offering some customers who had switched away from unlimited plans the option to switch back to unlimited in order to keep them from defecting to Verizon.

Update: Reuters has also filed a report on Shammo's comments, quoting him as saying the shift away from unlimited data plans would probably take place in "mid-summer".

"We will probably do that in the mid-summer time frame," Verizon Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo said during a webcast of an investor conference.

Verizon Wireless kept its unlimited plan for its first iPhone customers as it "didn't want to put up a barrier" to consumers who wanted to try out the device on its network, the executive said.