We doubt we’ll see an iPad 2 at CES at the start of next month, but it can’t be far off. Apple loves an annual refresh of its iOS devices, and it’s been almost an entire rotation of the sun since the first iPad was revealed. But what’s going to be different this time? FaceTime cameras? A new screen? See what the pundits reckon in our iPad 2 predictions roundup.
Gizmodo namechecks cameras, front and back, in its iPad 2 predictions, but is much more convinced than others that the iPad 2′s screen resolution will be upped: “A beefed-up screen is practically guaranteed to make the jump into the next iPad….imagine how crappy that otherwise very nice iPad screen is going to look in the Apple Store when compared to the insane density of the iPhone 4. That won’t last for long.” We’re not so sure: isn’t this what’s keeping the cost down compared to the iPhone?
iPad 2: Five killer features we want
ShinyShiny‘s predictions for the iPad 2 meanwhile range from the realistic (“Cameras – front and back. FaceTime was a huge selling point on the iPhone 4, it only makes sense for Steve Jobs to introduce it”) to the absurd (“Flash compatibility”). But the site also makes some unusual predictions for the iPad 2 we hadn’t considered: “video editing on the iPad”, like iMovie, and that it’ll be “slimmer and lighter…this is what happens to most Apple gadgets over time.” We hadn’t considered this possibility – do you think something this size needs to be any thinner?
Over at Trusted Reviews, Hugo Jobling reckons we won’t be seeing much of a design change with the iPad 2, other than an SD card slot, unlike the huge overhaul in looks between the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4: “The design is almost certain to remain the same, at least visually – the form factor works well enough that it doesn’t need to be messed with.” Nor does he think the screen will change too much, with most of the tweaks taking place on the inside. “What we can be sure of is that the iPad 2 is inevitably going to be outfitted with more powerful hardware on the inside. Adding more RAM seems like the most obvious first step,” he writes.
Finally, GigaOm‘s Adam Jackson thinks the design will stay the same (“it will have the same aluminum back, the same bezel and similar weight and the battery life will be mostly unchanged”), but makes the bold prediction that the iPad 2 will come in several sizes, including a 7-inch version. Given Steve Jobs’ recent attack on the form factor (“dead on arrival”). Given the Apple founder’s recent statements, that seems unlikely, but it wouldn’t be the first time Jobs has hated on a product or business model, then announced his own tailored for it.
What do you want to see in the iPad 2? And what do you think will make the cut? Give us your iPad 2 predictions in the comments below!
