Apple evangelists and techies around the world are waiting anxiously for the unveiling of the new iPad 3 that will take place at 10:00 AM on March 7, 2012 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, where both the iPad and iPad 2 were unveiled.
The Apple iPad 3 event press release says almost naughtingly.
“We have something you really have to see. And touch.”
With the announcement will come loads of new specs on Apple's latest tablet. As with every Apple device, the rumor mill is rolling ahead at full speed. Some of those rumors seem entirely possible, but with those come a lot of bunk to sort through.
Let's take a look at some of the loudest iPad 3 rumors we've been hearing, and separate the plausible from the silly.
1) The iPad 3 Will Have a Retina Display
It's been rumored for a while now that the iPad 3 will be equipped with a Retina display. The Retina display is the high-resolution screen found on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S as well as the current generation iPod touch. The screen is so sharp that it's difficult for the human eye to distinguish individual pixels.
If rumors are accurate, the iPad 3 should have a resolution of 1536x2048, which is twice the resolution of the current model's 768x1026 within the same amount of screen space.
Probability: Very likely.
2) The iPad 3 Will Feature 4G LTE Support
The iPad 3 is going to bring Apple into the world of 4G LTE. At least, that's what rumors have been saying. This will allow for faster data connections to carrier networks -- at least in the US, as it is unclear whether or not it will be supported in other territories.
The Wall Street Journal reported on this in February (and their sources tend to be pretty reliable) and iMore more recently reported that the iPad 3 will be LTE-enabled. iMore's rumor is worth noting, because they were the first to accurately report the date of the forthcoming iPad 3 event (i.e. March 7).
Probability: Very likely given the sources, and necessary if Apple wants to remain competitive with rival tablets this year.
3) The iPad 3 Will Have a Higher Resolution Camera
There's no question about this. The iPad 2 camera is notoriously ... well, not so good. I've heard some rumors saying that it will feature the same 8MP camera sensor as the iPhone 4S. This would make for an amazing camera on the tablet. That said, I don't imagine many folks using a 10-inch tablet as a point-and-shoot, but I'm sure it has its place.
Probability: Definitely happening. Though I do wonder if it will be iPhone 4S quality or slightly downgraded.
4) The iPad 3 Will Be Similar in Form-factor to the iPad 2, Perhaps Thicker
This is another reasonable rumor. It's said that the iPad 3 will be very similar to the iPad 2 in form factor. If anything, the tablet will be just a hair thicker. Some reports say it's about .81mm thicker (about 0.032 inches). In other words, most of us probably won't even notice.
This rumor isn't far from the truth, and the added thickness isn't significant enough to discourage any potential iPad 3 buyers.
Probability: Likely. Again, any added thickness will go unnoticed by most users.
5) The iPad 3 Will Have an A5X Processor
This one came to be because some images leaked on the internet of what is supposedly an internal component of the iPad 3. The A5X would likely be a dual-core chip that is an upgrade from the A5, but not quite the boost many of us expected in the form of an A6 processor.
Probability: Likely true. Sorry, no quad-core crunching for the iPad this time.
6) The iPad 3 Will Have Siri Support
This is possible, but I'm not as willing to bet on it as I am LTE and a Retina display. It makes sense given that Apple will likely want Siri on all their devices in the future as they continue to create a uniform environment across their operating systems. With the iPhone 4S, Siri was introduced, and is still in beta. Whether they are ready to roll her out on the iPad remains to be seen.
Probability: More than likely yes, but I wouldn't put all my money on it.
7) Apple Will Introduce an iPad Mini
This rumor has been around ever since Apple released the original iPad. We've heard time and time again that Apple wants to release a 7-inch tablet. This rumor probably emerged because it's entirely plausible that Apple has been testing iPads of various sizes. Perhaps at some point they tested, or continue to test, smaller-form iPad models, but it doesn't necessarily mean they are going to release such a device.
Others believe that the smaller 'iPad mini' is likely. Apple now sees the potential in smaller tablet devices, now that (for instance) Amazon has entered the market with the $199 Kindle Fire. The iPad seems to be doing just fine without Apple having to worry much about the competition.
Probability: If Apple announces such a device, I will let Larry Seltzer smack me across the face with an iPad mini on launch day. [Editor: If I can't get an iPad Mini can I smack you with a Kindle Fire?]
8) The iPad 3 Will Get an $80 Price Hike
File another one under "not happening." Apple knows that the iPad's price has hit a sweet spot with consumers. There was speculation about this because some leaked image from a Chinese microblogging service said that the tablet would get a slight price boost.
The reasoning? The Retina display costs more.
My take? Apple waited a year for the Retina display rather than put it in the iPad 2, because they wanted to keep the iPad pricing at $500. Keeping the price down is more feasible now.
Probability: Forget about it. It's not happening.
Apple's event is set to take place March 7th at their usual venue, the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. It couldn't come any sooner. Not because we are anticipating Apple's next tablet, but because we want analysts to shut up about the iPad mini. That's reason enough to anticipate Wednesday's press event.
COMMENTARY: Secrecy around any new Apple magical device is always so airtight that this invariably leads to a fury of rumor mills. This time around the questions include:
- What will the new iPad 3 look like?
- What new capabilities will the iPad 3 have?
- Will the iPad 3 incorporate new groundbreaking technologies?
- How much will the iPad 3 cost?
- How much will the iPad 3 weigh?
- How long will its battery last?
- Will there be a Kindle Fire-killer in the works?
- Will new CEO Tim Cook make a Jobs-like presentation or will he bore everybody to sleep?
- Will the ghost of Steve Jobs be sighted?
- How many Chinese plant workers died making the new iPad 3?
I'm going to stick my neck out and say that the new iPad 3 will incorporate the Siri personal assistant app. Apple evenagelists won't settle for less. I also predict that the iPad 3 will have a faster A5 dual core processor, more flash storage (32gb to 128 gb), will weigh slightly more because of a bigger battery to support a higher resolution display, will be priced at $549.95, not the $495 we've been accustomed to. My reasoning for the higher price: the iPad 3 will include a high-rez Retina display and bigger battery, and it needs to maintain those industry-leading profit margins.
Yes, I think Apple will introduce a 7-inch iPad, a legitimate Kindle Fire-killer, if you will. Jeff Bezos will shit in his pants. Here are my reasons:
- Apple is intent on dominating all segments of the tablet market as adoption in the 10-inch segment reaches maximum penetration.
- Apple's 7-inch tablet will incorporate the iPad 2's specs at a lower price point opening a world of new market opportunities for Apple.
- A 7-inch Apple tablet could be sold through a few big box retailers without cannibalizing sales of the iPad 3.
- Apple needs to compete in the low-end of the tablet market where Amazon now rules because it knows that there are a lot more buyers down there, who could later upgrade to the full 10" display model.
- Having a smaller, cheaper iPad will also allow Apple to compete more effectively in the education market, a market they have already announced they want to dominate, and a 7-inch tablet fits quite nicely in the hands of young school children.
If you have any predictions to add, post a comment.
Courtesy of an article dated March 5, 2012 appearing in InformationWeek
Apple Tablet
A lot of people are excited about the new Apple Tablet (a.k.a. the iPad 3). Are you one of the many people who are contemplating purchasing a new Apple Tablet? Before you make a commitment, I would like to suggest that you read this article and think about it for a while. In other words, think twice before you make a commitment to purchase the new Tablet. Remember what Smokey Robinson and the Miracles said back in the day? They said, “You better shop around!” Or like I used to tell my son when he was learning how to play baseball and when he was playing in the little league: “Look ‘em over, Wes!”
There has been much hype about the new iPad 3 (a.k.a. the new Apple Tablet) that you need to do some comparison shopping. Months before this new product was released to the public, there had been much acclaim about its features and nuances. But do the new features live up to the hype that preceded the release of the product? I suggest that you do a thorough investigation and check the product out to see if it is really an improvement on its predecessor.
I investigated and checked out the new Apple Tablet and I have discovered some interesting news that I would like to share with you. I am very happy to share this information with you, because I know that you want to be adequately informed. But please don’t just take my word for it. After all, I am a stranger to you and you can read almost any kind of hype online. My advice is that you investigate and check the product out for yourself. As a consumer, you owe it to yourself to discover whether or not the hype about this product is for real or is it simply another one of Apple’s assumptions that whatever they produce will be gobbled up by the market.
It pays to do your homework and not just take somebody else’s word for it. This is good advice for anything that you are going to spend your hard-earned money for. Don’t just give your money away because somebody said that the product you are interested in is a good one. Investigate. Search. Discover for yourself. Shop around. “Look ‘em over!” After you read this article, I believe that you will see a much better alternative than Apple’s Tablet.
Here are some specs on the new Apple Tablet. It contains a slightly larger screen. It is 9.7 inches compared to the 9.5 inches of iPad 2. The new iPad Tablet is actually slightly thicker and heavier than the iPad 2. Actually, it weighs 1.4 lbs., compared to the 1.3 lbs. of the iPad 2. The width is 9.4 mm, compared to the 8.8 mm width of the iPad 2.
A great number of rumors had preceded the new Apple Tablet. Apple boasted that the new Tablet would contain something called a “haptic” screen, or a touch-screen with force feedback to simulate pressing actual buttons. But, you know how it is with most rumors. They mostly turn out to be entirely unfounded. Even the speculation that the device would not contain a physical “Home” button has proved to be unfounded as well. But that is not all. Please read on.
Think about this: the popular-rumored names of the device (the iPad 3 or the iPad HD) turned out to be incorrect. It appears as though Apple simply “rebranded” the latest version of its device “The new iPad.” While the event might be disappointing to some who were expecting flashier, more drastic updates, Apple has proven time and time again that consumers will flock to whatever new devices it puts out. You don’t want them to keep on fooling the public, do you?
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