- November 28th, 2010 by Nathan Fischer
The next generation iPad may be due out soon and the rumor mill is cranking and churning away. The Apple tablet has seen far more success than most analysts imagined last year when they bemoaned the idea of Apple building a tablet PC, saying that there was no market for such a device. Millions and millions of iPad units later, we’re already looking forward to the next iteration.
What can we expect to see in the next iPad? Technically, since it’s Apple, its tough to expect or predict anything, really. But that doesn’t stop the ever so sketchy Digitimes from speculating or relaying shoddy info regarding Apple products. According to the publication, the new iPad will be thinner and smaller for improved portability, it will have a USB port, video phone capabilities, a Retina display and 3-axis gyroscope.
Let’s start with the USB port. Whether it’s micro or mini, how many Apple products can you think of that feature such a port? Not saying it’s impossible, but it seems that Apple is hanging onto that 30-pin connector as if its life depended on it.
Thinner and smaller iPad? Perhaps that’s feasible, but if it’s thinner, smaller and lighter it doesn’t necessarily mean it would be more portable. Come to think of it, what does “more portable” mean, anyway? The iPad is damn portable when you compare it to a MacBook Pro. Can we consider this a new feature when we really can’t define it? The iPad may be cumbersome to hold at certain angles or positions, so guessing that Apple might have made some changes to this doesn’t necessarily make you Nostradamus.
The retina display is tricky. Imagining the cost of having to produce such a display on a 10-inch tablet is iffy. But perhaps the definition of retina display changes based on how far away you hold the device from your face. Will the new iPad need 326ppi or pixels-per-inch in order to be considered a retina display if we typically hold it further from our eyes than a cell phone? It could be considerably less. Then again, I can hold my laptop about 4 feet away from my eyes and call that a retina display, too.
Overall, it’s surprising that Digitimes got this much attention over an inconsequential rumor on the iPad’s new features. On the other hand, it has reported far greater inaccuracies with little to no hedging, but its reports still manage to see the light of day.
Could we actually see these features on the new iPad, or is this just a mix of wishful thinking along with some semi-educated guesses?
I say we just wait until January when the next iPad is announced.
[Via MacRumors]
