Apple recently revealed the iPad 2 to the world

Apple recently revealed the iPad 2 to the world and now that all of the rumors and speculations have been debunked and blown to water, here are the top five most shocking announcements made Wednesday.

Black and White iPad 2s?

With all of the iPad 2 design rumors floating around -- 7-inch iPad 2, USB and SD ports, new speakers, etc. -- one thing that never hit a blip on iPad 2 rumor sites was the introduction of a white iPad 2. The addition of the white iPad will be ideal for couples that both own an iPad (my wife and I included), it's a bit more aesthetically pleasing for women, and it's perfect for those that are looking to get an iPad that's a bit different from the masses.

Launch Date

I had the iPad 2 pegged for an April 3 launch date -- a year after the original iPad's launch -- but the world was shocked as it was announced that the iPad 2 would be launched by the early date of March 11 -- barely a week after the iPad was announced. While I'm stoked that it will be available as early as the beginning of March, I'm still a bit shocked that Apple only gave a little over a week for the iPad 2 smoke to clear before the product hit the U.S. shelves.

The iPad 2's Updated GPU

I knew that the iPad 2 was going to get a major boost in the processor department -- with the new A5 processor -- but the new graphics card of the iPad 2 was a total shocker. The new GPU is reported to go as fast as nine times that of the iPad 2, which is great news for gamers, movie-streamers, and pretty much everyone else as well.

Battery Life

With the added graphics and processor speed, front and back facing cameras, the thinner design and other advancements made to the iPad 2, I was worried that the battery would suffer a major hit, but somehow Apple managed to pack all of the new power packed features into the iPad 2 without affecting the battery at all. The iPad 2 is reported to retain its 10-hour battery life (and one month standby time) while watching movies and listening to music.

Price

Along with the worry of how the iPad 2 would handle its battery life, I was also worried about which arm and leg I'd have to saw off to make enough money to afford the iPad 2. Surprisingly, the prices of the iPad 2 will not differ from that of the original iPad. The iPad 2 will have a price range of $499.99 to $829.99 just like the original iPad -- making it a lot more affordable than I expected.