The iPad 4 was phased out before it even had a chance to get any traction... but now, thanks to some clever marketing by the Apple Powers That Be, the iPad 4 has been re-introduced, while the iPad 2 has been completely phased out!

ZDNet has confirmed that the iPad 2, which was the last bit of Apple technology that used the old 30-pin connector, has been completely discontinued. The iPad 4, which uses the more compact Lightning plug technology -- and thus became more compatible with the iPad Air and iPad Mini series -- has also been reintroduced back into the market.

Meanwhile, the Economic Times of India confirmed that the fourth generation iPad features a 9.7-inch Retina display, an A6X chip, Wi-Fi, a 5MP iSight camera which also captures 1080p HD video, a FaceTime HD camera. iPad with Retina display comes with iOS 7.1.

The fourth generation iPad is a tablet computer produced and marketed by Apple Inc. Compared to its predecessor, the fourth generation iPad maintained the Retina Display but featured new and upgraded components such as the Apple A6X chip, and the Lightning connector, which was introduced on Sept. 12, 2012. It shipped with iOS 6.0, which provides a platform for audio-visual media, including electronic books, periodicals, films, music, computer games, presentations and web content.

It was announced at a media conference on Oct. 23, 2012 as the fourth generation of the iPad line, succeeding the third-generation iPad, and was first released on Nov. 2, 2012 in 35 countries. The device was released throughout December in 10 other countries including China, India and Brazil. The third generation was discontinued following the fourth's announcement.

The device was available with either a black or white front glass panel and various connectivity and storage options. Storage size options include 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB; the available connectivity options are Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + Cellular with LTE capabilities.