iPad 2

A lot of rumours have been going around on Engadget, Mac Stories etc. speculating various features that the next generation iPad will feature.  If we just take a minute and look back at what the current iPad really is – well simply the 2009 iPod with a better, bigger screen, faster processor and 3G capabilities.

Apple added a new processor, a better screen handling upto 1024 x 720 resolution at 9.7″, an orientation lock switch, portrait and landscape modes an option to include 3G services and called the iPod and iPad.

Now simply putting 2 and 2 together, Apple will repeat the same process for the 2011 iPod – i.e. building on the 2010 iPod Touch 4th Generation  (iPt4g). Many have rumoured USB ports, disc drives, physical keyboard and so on – but here we’re dealing with Apple – a comapany that strives to provide the best product, by limiting its features – hence, well… playing ‘hard to get’.

So what do we/can we expect from it.. using common sense..

Using that as a base of our thinking – the 2011 iPad can be guaranteed to support:

• High resolution however not exactly ‘Retina Display’ – which Apple defines as doubling the resolution – something not cheaply done on a 9.7″ screen. But a resolution on par with the iPt4g or higher.
• Dual Cameras – expect exactly the same front VGA camera as the iPt4g but possibly an improved rear camera – recording in 720P High Definition.
• Thinner – the iPt4g is well thin – following on from the iPhone 4 – we can surely expect a thinner, more iPhone 4-like look for the iPad
• With the new design, Apple figured a way to extend the batter in both iPhone4 and the iPt4g – something we could see happen in the iPad as well – however it does currently have a 10 hour operating life.
• Increase RAM – iOS 4 (iOS 4.2.1) brought multitasking to iOS devices – Apps don’t run in the background however their ‘state’ is  saved in the device’s RAM – something Apple would increase to improve the ‘smooth’ performance iOS devices boast.
• Three axis-Gyro – an improved mechanism providing a more precise orientation measurement. About:Gyroscopes
• Following the trend which the iPad brought in 2010 – a new, improved Apple chip processor – dual core? most likely not
• iMovie for iPad – with the addition of cameras and more ram – the resource hungry iMovie app will definitely find its way into the next iPad – editing movies on a 9.7″ screen could most likely be that talk for the 2011 iPad
• Surprise hardware feature 1 – hints around the web at a bigger speaker
• Surprise hardware feature 2 – im starting to think Apple may just include telecommunications with the 3G capable iPads
• iOS 5 specific supporting feature

All in all – I believe its going to be a replica of the iPod Touch 4th Gen in terms of looks, upgraded ‘brain’ power and a few surprises – rumours are all around – avoid them.

Antennagate issues? Mind over matter? Apple will compensate the design to make human interferences less reactive for those people who nag on the smallest change in reception – however IMO there never was an issue, just something people couldn’t handle as it was an Apple product and hence blown out of proportion.

I didn’t get the iPad last year as Apple held back significantly – depending on the iOS5 potential – I most likely will be getting it