iPad 2 May Have Five New Features Including Video Phone and 3-Axis Gyroscopes

[Maura]

​

Rumours about the possibility of Apple announcing a new iPad model in January remain strong, and now MacRumors is reporting on a story in Digitimes that states that, according to industry sources, the new iPad will have five new features, namely it will have FaceTime video calling, be thinner and smaller in size, have a USB port, Retina Display technology that will enhance image and colour output and a 3-axis gyroscope.

It’s difficult to know quite what to believe about this. The gyroscopes, FaceTime and Retina Display screen all sound very likely and very plausible when the second-gen iPad does eventually surface, although I’m still not sure iPad owners want two cameras or even one on the device. Thinner and lighter I can also believe, but as for smaller? Not so sure. Steve Jobs himself has only recently shot down in flames the idea of a 7-inch iPad, so it’s hard to believe that the new one will be smaller than the current version. And as far as the USB port is concerned, as MacRumors says, Apple has always used the dock connector for charging and syncing iOS devices, which has the benefit of giving them some degree of control over accessories, much more so than a generic USB port would. Although MacRumors then argues against itself by saying that it’s possible Apple has been forced to adopt the USB port because of new regulations passed in Europe imposing a universal USB charging standard amongst mobile phone manufacturers, including Apple.

As ever, watch this space!

Source: Next iPad to Add Five New Features including USB Port? - Mac Rumors

 

[SweetPoison]

Well ~ I love my iPad, but the USB would make myliede just a little sweeter.

 

[DaveSt]

Well ~ I love my iPad, but the USB would make myliede just a little sweeter.

Don't worry. If Apple puts a USB port on the next Ipad I have a feeling it will be severely restricted as to what it can be used for. Allowing users to add external storage (probably the most beneficial use I can think of) would kill Apple's entire pricing strategy.

I think the camera(s) is a real possibility as it seems to be an often called for feature. I can live without the 3-axis sensing as I find motion gaming to be awkward enough on a device this large. The retina display would be neat, but I would have to thonk that would require a rather beefy hardware upgrade. Hopefully the battery life stays about where it is.

 

[SweetPoison]

Well ~ I love my iPad, but the USB would make myliede just a little sweeter.

.


My life. That's what should be up there.^^ ugh. Hate spelling errors.



I love my iPad, but the USB would make my wonderful enjoyable life just a little sweeter because i am beautiful and smart.

 

[Yakuzagang5]

I may be wrong here, but putting retina display on an iPad would decrease resolution.... Retina display is not a technology, simply a name given to their iPhone 4 screen with a higher resolution. It's the same TFT technology that is in most phone screens on the market now.

And IMO, if they do increase the resolution, that would only put iPhone x2 apps worthless, and would make the "hd" iPad apps go to x2 or similar... Would be a poor move I believe, as the ipad screen is already same resolution of net books of the same size...

Just my two cents lol, as it would be nice to be proven wrong with a higher resolution while making all the apps universal lol or finding a way to better implement the x2, like smoothing edges, de-pixelating, etc.

 

[Yakuzagang5]

Well ~ I love my iPad, but the USB would make myliede just a little sweeter.

Don't worry. If Apple puts a USB port on the next Ipad I have a feeling it will be severely restricted as to what it can be used for. Allowing users to add external storage (probably the most beneficial use I can think of) would kill Apple's entire pricing strategy.

I think the lust for a USB port would be for printing, as that is what a lotta people think hold this back from taking over netbooks

 

[Superbike81]

"Retina Display" is just Apple's attempted clever way to say high resolution screen. The display on the iPhone 4 is 960x480. The iPad is already 1024x768, so the iPad 2's "Retina Display" would like be something like 1280x1024 or something similar.

You are correct in that there would be some problems using old programs on a higher resolution screen, either they would be windowed or slightly stretched. But the iPad 2 does indeed need a higher resolution screen, because early 2011, we are already going to be seeing Android tablets with 1280x800 and even higher by mid-2011. Just look at the iPhone 3G screen vs the iPhone 4 screen, the clarity difference is amazing. The iPad 2 NEEDS a higher resolution screen for sure.

USB port? I'm not even going to consider that a feature, because I'm almost certain it's not going to function the way we want it to. IE, plugging in non-Apple branded peripherals, USB tethering from a smart phone, file storage, etc, etc. I really hope they prove me wrong on this one, but I don't think they will.

Oh, and Mr. Jobs really needs to drop this feud with Adobe Flash, in the end, it's only hurting us, the consumers, because he's throwing a temper tantrum. Also, full Java implementation would be nice as well. But I doubt either of these things will ever happen.

 

[henry2]

if apple does brings out a next generation of the ipad and it has front forward faceing camera ..so how much of the ipad long battie life is going to be sacrifice to power the camera and running the camera in a long run..

the apple next generation of the ipad there are going to be inprovements but at what cost to the ipad the battie life ..

 

[NumbLock]

I'm definitely buying the second-gen iPad - even just for more memory. The USB thing is too good to be true. But still...I want!

 

[Yakuzagang5]

.

You are correct in that there would be some problems using old programs on a higher resolution screen, either they would be windowed or slightly stretched. But the iPad 2 does indeed need a higher resolution screen, because early 2011, we are already going to be seeing Android tablets with 1280x800 and even higher by mid-2011. Just look at the iPhone 3G screen vs the iPhone 4 screen, the clarity difference is amazing. The iPad 2 NEEDS a higher resolution screen for sure.

I do see your point, which I am completely pulling for. I just hope there is a good way of still using this generations apps, as I'm not about to pay for double price gouging on plants vs zombies super hd for $19.99..... It's already stupid how some of these apps are charging 5x for basically the same app with smoothed edges... Cause if this doesn't work right, you're gonna see google saying something about the fragmentation of iOS...

 

[gentlefury]

Was there a keynote I didn't know about?

 

[NumbLock]

Was there a keynote I didn't know about?

*snicker*

It's almost December! Didn't you get the memo that the entire tech news industry will be consumed with iPad rumors until said keynote takes place?

 

[Hasty]

Apple likes to stick to it's patterns, so we can expect a keynote late January with release in April
Of course Steve could really stick it to the clones and release in January after a sell out forth quarter.
Well we can dream.

 

[Digikid]

I will get it for sure. Even without the USB plug it is still an improvement.

The new HW Jailbreakers will hate this though. LOL!!!!!

 

[dupont2005]

When they say smaller in size I wonder if they mean screen size as well? It seems logical to offer a 7" screen at a lower price since most of the competition is 7" screens, but I love the 10" and actually think it's perfect. Before I bought it I was afraid it would be too small but it's just right for reading or watching a movie at arms length. I would not be interested in a 7" myself though.