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Apple CEO Steve Jobs looks thin, but well, as he takes the stage in San Francisco.

Apple unveiled the iPad 2 on Wednesday, showing off a handful of upgrades intended to cement the tablet’s market-leading position.

With dual cameras (front and back), an upgraded A5 processor, support for HD video recording and playback and a thinner profile, the iPad 2 looks to be a worthy successor to the first model.

The iPad 2 will be available for purchase starting March 11, Apple says.

Despite the increased power, Apple claims that the new iPad will have the same battery life as the first model: 10 hours of active use and about a month of standby.

It lacks several features that competing, Android-based tablets offer, such as a USB port or SD card reader.

The new iPad will come in two colors (black and white), will offer 3G data connectivity from AT&T or Verizon as an option, and will have the same starting price as the first model ($500 for a Wi-Fi only 16-GB version).

We’ll have close-up photos and hands-on impressions shortly. In the meantime, enjoy our images of the iPad 2 and Apple executives from Wednesday’s press event.

Photos: Jonathan Snyder/Wired.com