Apple executive may be reluctant in disclosing about iPad 2, but eventually they will have to release more information to the public. Every year is like a clockwork and Apple regularly updates its product line with new features and new designs and the iPad is due for an upgrade due to rapid development in tablet market, which already make it somewhat obsolete, with the absence of common features such as camera and USB ports. Luckily, we have caught some tidbits regarding Cupertino’s next tablet.
iPad 2 is the upcoming iteration of the current Apple’s tablet. Some believe that the new tablet will be dubbed as “iPad HD”, though there is still no confirmation from Apple. If the longstanding Apple development strategy is still applied this year, the new tablet will have some evolutionary upgrades and also aesthetic improvements.
Leaks are coming in from different sources and can give us a rough estimation about iPad 2’s likely new features. First of all, an accessory manufacturer from China published an alleged specification and even the iPad 2 mockup. If it is true, the new iPad will have rounded edges like the iPod Touch, a case that is less than 0.4-inches thick and two cameras.
The iPad 2 may also sport a much larger resolution. It may not hit the 300 dpi limit needed for “Retina Display” technology, nevertheless the possible 2048 X 1536 resolution would quadruple the iPad’s pixel count and reaches 260 dpi. This speculation arises from a close examination on the Apple’s iBooks 1.2. Observers revealed that the app comes in four different dimensions. Two smaller versions are intended for the iPad and the iPhone while the third version is intended for Retina Display technology found in iPhone 4. The last version will support a device called as “ipadx2”, with a resolution that doubles the current iPad’s graphic size.
If you have a 22” monitor with a 1920×1080 resolution, it could be hard to believe that someone can squeeze it to 10” and increase the resolution to 2048×1536. Currently, a 2048×1536 display that small is used for medical imaging and costs about $5000. Apple is currently selling a 2560×1440 iMac, but the display is a whopping 27”. Obviously, it is a little unlikely that Apple will include a medical-grade resolution into a tablet. However, Apple supporters argue that there is a possibility that the iPad 2 is able to use this resolution. Apple was the first to use a 3-5” display with 960X640 resolution in the iPhone 4 and the “miracle” might be repeated again with the iPad 2.
Certainly, many people have discussed about the possibility of Retina Display inclusion in the iPad 2. Kevin Rose, the founder of Digg has also said that his source in Apple revealed that the iPad 2 won’t use Retina Display, it will only use a display with higher dpi. The higher resolution will surely necessitates a more powerful hardware. Some rumors suggested that Apple is planning to use a customized edition of its A4 processor, which can double the processing power. The new A4 processor may include acceleration for video codecs, which allow better video conferencing experience with FaceTime app. It may mean that HDMI support that is currently available on Apple TV will also be present on the next iPhone and iPad. References inside the iOS 4.3 SDK indicate that Apple could be moving to a more powerful GPU as well. The PowerEVR SGX543 may replace the PowerEVR545 GPU, which can result in 25% higher polygons count while supporting the OpenCL technology.
Another rumor said that Apple may go to a multiple-core solution with the SGX543MP2, which combines two SGX543 cores in a single package, which will quadruple the current A4 capability in video and graphics tasks.
The digital newspaper market and digital magazine market is beginning to take shape. With such a resolution, Apple is in a better position compared to other e-book readers and tablets. With a pixel density that is close to 300dpi, iPad 2 is well suited when it comes to reading magazines and newspaper. They can appear nearly as real as the actual paper if this technology is used properly. For some people, the Kindle’s simplicity and Android’s open platform won’t be as interesting.