Just a day after we heard the iPad 3 will touch down in the first week of March comes word of what we can expect. The new iPad will look the same as the iPad 2, according to a source quoted by the New York Times, who cast doubt on whether it will be called the iPad 3 after all. iPad 2S, perhaps?
The next-gen slate will have seriously beefed up specs, however. The screen, for example, will be "truly amazing", according to a leak-happy Apple employee. Could that be the much-rumoured retina display we've heard a lot about? We think it could.
The device will be "essentially the same size and shape as the iPad 2", the source says. If it ain't broke and all that. (Check out some more interesting designs in our concept snaps gallery.) It'll also have a faster processor, though the source was a little light on specifics.
The iPhone 4S caused a stir, as it was seen by some as only a minor upgrade to the iPhone 4. It didn't stop it selling a metric fruit-tonne of units though, so Apple may well have no qualms with repeating the trick.
Yesterday we reported Apple will announce the iPad 3 in the first week of March. The retina display has been rumoured for a while now -- with a resolution of 2,048x1,536 pixels, it would have four times the number as the iPad 2's current 1,024x768-pixel display. We reported back in November the screen was in production, and the iBooks 2 app hinted at the higher resolution.
Casing leaks point to the next-generation iPad also having a better battery, and an improved camera -- something we've been looking forward to for some time.
Do you want the iPad 3 -- or iPad 2S -- to look the same? And are you excited about the new screen and improved camera? What else do you want to see? Have a gander at our iPad 3 rumours video below, and let us know over on our Facebook page, or below in the comments.
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Comments 7
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Liam Davies 10 February, 2012 10:47
Bored boring bored. Hard facts please. Same goes for galaxy s 3 and iPhone 5
anonymous 10 February, 2012 10:54
It could have the same specs as the iPad2 and would still sell by the boatload...
5onthe5 10 February, 2012 13:18
Price will be an interesting issue. Also, whether they keep the 2 on as an "entry-level" option. Apple have had this market to themselves for a while, but they must know that challenges are coming in this generation, so be interesting to see how they pre-empt them.
5onthe5 10 February, 2012 13:20
Also can I say, how much more interesting this would be if Asus hadn't screwed up the Transformer Prime launch quite so badly.
anonymous 10 February, 2012 13:38
Of course it will look the same, Apple have a clear policy in this space - just look at the iphone:
Gen1 - basically the prototype to test the market (iphone, ipad)
Gen2 - first decent version (iphone 3g, Ipad 2)
Gen3 - beefed up gen 2 (iphone 3gs)
Gen4 - new release and substantially different (iphone 4)
Gen5- beefed up gen 4 (iphone 4s)
I bet money they follow the same approach with the ipad and hence have 2 years of sales to recover their R&D costs and make a profit, rather than 1 (although Apple would prob still make a profit!).
anonymous 10 February, 2012 22:30
How the **** do you become an Apple expert?? What a complete joke this guy's career is...
anonymous 13 February, 2012 23:49
This is going to be iPad 3, not iPad 2S.
1) A retina screen IS a major upgrade, not 'beefing up.' Other than the shape and the necessary processor upgrades, the only difference between the 3GS and the 4 was a front facing camera. But the iPhone is the only product to go through significant physical changes - little changes about the look between generations of other Apple products. Also, why change the shape of the iPad too much? It's slim, sleek, and iconic.
2) iPad 3 won't have 4g LTE; they'll wait a few months for better tech and give it to the device that could use it more - the iPhone 5. Then, next March, when the tech's even better, we'll see an 'iPad 4G.' the marketing writes itself.