I will be getting my first iPad when the iPad 3 comes out, so I thought I would summarize some of the main rumors that are appearing. Of course with Apple, there is really no way to know exactly what their products will be until they officially announce them.
This is NOT the iPad 3, just a rendering that an artist made. Pretty cool though!
The all-important release date: Being cautious, we know the iPad will most likely get released sometime in late February through early April. Some are suggesting it may be released as early as Steve Jobs’ birthday, February 24th, in order to honor him in a way.
Appearance: It most likely will look largely the same as the iPad 2. Some manufacturers are saying it will be a slight bit thicker (give or take about 1 mm) to accommodate for the new hardware (which will be discussed in a bit). It is also highly anticipated that the screen will be updated to an HD or “retina” display, as the iPhone 4, iPhone 4s, and current iPod Touches have. For me, this would be it’s biggest selling point.
Different Internal Hardware: In order for this new HD screen to work, Apple may have to put an extra light bar inside, in order to illuminate the thousands of pixels required for a high-definition screen. This would cause the iPad itself to perhaps be a slight bit thicker. For the average customer, however, this would be unnoticeable. Others are saying that Apple will utilize a new technology called IGZO that does not require a dual light bar system, therefore allowing the iPad to be even thinner. It also uses less energy, so the battery life could be longer. Also, the iPad 3 will most likely incorporate a quad-core A6 processor, an update from the current dual-core A5 processor. This would give the iPad 3 power similar to that of a desktop computer. Launching apps, playing games (graphics), using the camera, as well as other processes would be ridiculously fast. For me, other than the retina display, this is the other biggest selling point.
Cameras: The back camera will probably be updated to 8 MP, which the iPhone 4s currently has, and the front camera may be boosted to 5 MP to allow for HD video calling.
Network: Some are saying the iPad 3 will be 4G LTE compatible. I, myself, will just be getting the WiFi version.
Price: As Apple usually does, the iPad 3 should cost the same as the current iPad 2s do, with the price going up as the amount of memory increases. The iPad 2 may drop in price, and stay available in Apple’s line-up. This could be a way for Apple to compete with the very cheap and quickly-selling Kindle Fire.
And that’s about it! Good news is that manufacturing of the iPad 3 is reportedly in action now, which means Apple is preparing to release it in the very near future. Who’s to say if it will be as early as February 24th, as late as April, or a completely different date, but I am waiting very anxiously. When I do get it, whenever that may be, I will be sure to post a review on here! Check back then and thanks for reading!
The Medialogue = 