iPad rumors for 2012

[haven]

Here are several rumors about what Apple will do with the 2012 version of the iPad. Do any of these seem right to you?

1. Seeing the success of the 7 inch tablets from Amazon and Barnes and Noble, Apple will produce a smaller version of the iPad. Or will they call a 7 inch tablet an iPod Touch?

2. Seeing the success of tablets that cost less than $200, Apple will lower the price of the entry level iPad.

3. Apple will update the iPad display to the "retina" quality offered in the iPhone. That's 2,048 x 1,536 pixels, four times as many as in the current iPad.

4. Apple will introduce a quad core processor, probably called the A5 [wrong, there already is an A5...so A6] to match the processors coming to Android tablets this Spring.

5. The iPad's camera will be upgraded to 8 megapixels like the iPhone 4S, perhaps based on CMOS technology like DSLR cameras use.

6. Apple will upgrade to two rows of LEDs to illuminate the iPad screen more evenly.

7. Apple will announce the new iPad in January to match the flood of Android tablet announcements expected at the CES trade show.

8. Here's the wildest rumor of all: AT&T's plan to purchase T-Mobile for $39 billion was killed by the FCC. Apple, which has $81 billion in cash on hand, will step up and buy T-Mobile. Apple will offer special rates to iPhone and iPad customers who need mobile data services in USA and Europe.

 

[TheAlmightySam]

Here are several rumors about what Apple will do with the 2012 version of the iPad. Do any of these seem right to you?

1. Seeing the success of the 7 inch tablets from Amazon and Barnes and Noble, Apple will produce a smaller version of the iPad. Or will they call a 7 inch tablet an iPod Touch?

2. Seeing the success of tablets that cost less than $200, Apple will lower the price of the entry level iPad.

3. Apple will update the iPad display to the "retina" quality offered in the iPhone. That's 2,048 x 1,536 pixels, four times as many as in the current iPad.

4. Apple will introduce a quad core processor, probably called the A5, to match the processors coming to Android tablets this Spring.

5. The iPad's camera will be upgraded to 8 megapixels, perhaps based on CMOS technology like DSLR cameras use.

6. Apple will upgrade to two rows of LEDs to illuminate the iPad screen more evenly.

7. Apple will announce the new iPad in January to match the flood of Android tablet announcements expected at the CES trade show.

8. Here's the wildest rumor of all: AT&T's plan to purchase T-Mobile for $39 billion was killed by the FCC. Apple, which has $81 billion in cash on hand, will step up and buy T-Mobile. Apple will offer special rates to iPhone and iPad customers who need mobile data services in USA and Europe.

1. Unlikely. Apple reportedly did considerable testing of a 7" tablet and was unhappy with it. A 7" tablet will also be a third display size for app developers to contend with, and I find it unlikely that Apple would fragment their models like this. Further, the Kindle Fire and Nook are far from ravishing successes, and even if they were, Apple has never attempted to capture 100% of the market, only the profitable sections.

2. Apple will continue to try to push prices downward. How far down that goes remains to be seen.

3. A 4x resolution display, AKA "Retina Display" is almost certain for the iPad 3, or whatever they call it.

4. Apple typically uses the iPad to launch new processor models. Since the iPad 2 has the dual-core A5, it's presumable they will call this one the A6. Whether this is to "match" Android tablets or not is a matter of opinion.

5. Apple seems disinterested in the iPad's camera. The iPad 2 has the same camera as the iPod Touch, which is far from great. I find it unlikely, though not impossible, that they will do an about face on this front and install anything wonderful in the iPad 3. Why anyone wants to take pictures with a giant tablet is beyond me.

6. Unknown.

7. Apple launched the iPad in April and the iPad 2 in March. I see no reason why they would not continue with a spring launch date. Anyone who thinks Apple is at all worried about what the Android market is releasing at CES is delusional.

8. Have heard nothing to this effect, but I find it unlikely. If Apple was going to get into the cell phone market by buying a GSM carrier, why spend all the energy testing and developing CDMA devices? Part of Apple's success recently has been getting carriers to fight with one another over the iPhone. Anyway, people hate switching cell phone providers.

 

[Scott Brady]

I am looking forward to the iPad 3. We purchased an early iPad 1, before 3G was released. I will most certainly spring for a 3G model with integrated GPS. I am doing all of my book reading on the iPad now, so it is part of my daily routine - I am also a believer in the iPad as a navigation tool, so the GPS will be a bonus.

My real hope is some serious peripheral support. External hard drives, better file management, SD card slot? Etc.

 

[18seeds]

I think you will see apple releasing updated iphones and ipads twice a year. This is generally what has been seen with the laptops. I doubt they will aggressively match the android because apple isn't going to jeopardize the user experience. Technology is moving faster than the carriers can support. I do some business in Mobile backhaul and you'd be amazed on how quickly the demands for bandwidth are changing daily.

 

[Dave Bennett]

I am looking forward to the iPad 3. ...snip... I am also a believer in the iPad as a navigation tool, so the GPS will be a bonus.

My real hope is some serious peripheral support. External hard drives, better file management, SD card slot? Etc.

x2!!!

 

[4xdog]

I have a 3G iPad and it's become near indispensible to me. The way I use the iPad has evolved to the point where a camera isn't needed (that's for my iPhone) and multiple input/output options aren't important (that's for my PC). All three devices have found a happy coexistence in my world.

The addition of a retina screen would be most welcome. A faster more powerful processor is always useful. The little time I've spent with Siri on the iPhone 4S of friends and colleagues is interesting -- I'd like to spend more time with it.

Don

 

[Lostmanifesto]

3 and 4 should happen. The others maybe. I can see it launching in June. Should also have a 4G model along with the iPhone 5.

 

[uli2000]

I am looking forward to the iPad 3. We purchased an early iPad 1, before 3G was released. I will most certainly spring for a 3G model with integrated GPS. I am doing all of my book reading on the iPad now, so it is part of my daily routine - I am also a believer in the iPad as a navigation tool, so the GPS will be a bonus.

My real hope is some serious peripheral support. External hard drives, better file management, SD card slot? Etc.

The peripheral support is already there, well, with limits. Buy the camera connection kit. Comes with USB and SD dongles. You can read/write photos and videos via the SD slot, and some usb drives and external hard drives can be read via the USB dongle. But Apple won't offer any SD slot or USB host features.

My bets are for a retina display, bump in RAM/VRAM, a bump in the cpu speed (but not a new quad core cpu), and possibly 4g connectivity. I don't see an improved camera unless they make the device thicker (I believe the thinness was what prevented them from putting the iPhone 4 camera module into the iPad 2). The 2 row LED makes sense since there were a few early iPad 2s that suffered from uneven backlighting. The Tmobile thing is ridiculous. They'd risk alienating all of their other wireless carrier partners if they did that. Apple could announce an iPad 3 in January (they announced the iPad 1 in January 2010), and they do have an event scheduled for the end of the month, but so far all clues lead it to be about Mac software (possible OS 11 preview?).

 

[haven]

A report from All Things D points to an iPad 3 announcement in early March. New features reportedly include higher resolution display, faster processor (but maybe sticking with dual core rather than quad core), and LTE data service optional.
http://allthingsd.com/20120209/apple-to-announce-ipad-3-first-week-in-march/

It is not known if you will have to purchase the 3G/4G model to get a GPS chip. Also unknown is how low the price of the iPad 2 will fall when the iPad 3 becomes available.

Another indication that the iPad 3 announcement is near is a 10% off sale on iPad 2 models at NewEgg.com. The deal is one day only, while supplies last
http://promotions.newegg.com/NEemai...e09/index-landing.html?nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL020912

 

[shane4x4]

1) Nope.
2) Yep.
3) Yep.
4) Actually most like the A6
5) Yep.
6) Yep.
7) Nope, March.
8) Nope.

I'm very stoked about the iPad3 and we'll pickup the 3G version as well, probably the largest capacity they sell since the new iBooks are so large in filesize. It's an amazing (magical?) device and I'm sure the new version will be even better

 

[cgalpha08]

Any hope the ipad will have a 4g chipset in it?

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

 

[Frank]

Apple competes with no one, everyone competes with Apple. They set the bar for everything.

Whatever they unveil with the ipad 3 is probably something no one is expecting, as always. Its almost not even worth guessing and anticipating anymore. I *waited* on the iphone 5 with all of the "leaked" info. 90% of it wasn't true and really, siri doesn't impress me at all.

 

[Scott Brady]

Looking forward to it! Time to upgrade my 'ancient' iPad I

 

[Frank]

*that said, I went to droid when the 5 wasn't released and my iPhone 3g (yes the first one) went out. There are many things I like about my droid but really miss my iPhone. I also am a iPad (non-3g) owner. I will probably purchase a new iphone when the new one comes out.

I really wish the wifi ipad had GPS built in. -though paying $100 for a bad elf is an option, that thing hanging out of the bottom of the ipad would be annoying.

 

[TangoBlue]

Looking forward to it! Time to upgrade my 'ancient' iPad I

GAWD - that's so like - 2010!