Apple introduced iPad 2 last week with 33 percent thinner and 15 percent lighter design, featuring new dual-core A5 processor, front VGA camera, and rear 720p HD video camera. It still has 9.7-inch touchscreen and is available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB configurations, with or without 3G support at a starting price of $499. The new iPad 2 also comes with new softwares including FaceTime for video calling and Photo Booth for fun.

Like the original iPad, reviewers are calling the new iPad 2 “the tablet to beat”, because it’s thinner, lighter, faster and cheaper than the competition, while offering software features that can’t be matched by others. Engadget’s Joshua Topolsky concluded his iPad 2 review by saying:

“It might frustrate the competition to hear this, but it needs to be said: the iPad 2 isn't just the best tablet on the market, it feels like the only tablet on the market. As much as we'd like to say that something like the Xoom has threatened Apple's presence in this space, it's difficult (if not impossible) to do that. Is the iPad 2 a perfect product? Absolutely not. The cameras are severely lacking, the screen -- while extremely high quality -- is touting last year's spec, and its operating system still has significant annoyances, like the aggravating pop-up notifications. At a price point of $499, and lots of options after that (like more storage and models that work on both Verizon's and AT&T's 3G networks), there's little to argue about in the way of price, and in terms of usability, apps like GarageBand prove that we haven't even scratched the surface of what the iPad can do.”

Overall, with iPad 2 launch Apple has not only maintained its lead over competition, but has extended it. Let’s put it simply, iPad 2 is the best tablet on the market by far and even the upcoming tablets from HP and RIM won’t come close to the iPad 2. With applications like iMovie and Garageband, Apple has clearly shown that it’s not just about hardware, but it’s a combination of hardware plus software, which none of the other companies can match right now.

Below we have added links to 12 best iPad 2 reviews available online: