Twitching for an iPad 3? You might not have too long to wait. Taiwan Economic News is reporting that Apple has employed suppliers Simplo and Dynapack for a much thinner battery for the iPad 3. If it’s employing suppliers, you can be sure the design is done and dusted, and Cupertino’s getting set to begin production.
The online rumour mill has cranked into overdrive, of course, with some intelligent input from MacRumors.com, who posit that the updated battery might not mean a thinner iPad 3, but could instead lead to a device the same size as the current generation, but with a thicker, higher-resolution Retina display.
One thing’s for sure though: Those new batteries won’t come cheap. Taiwan Economic News reckons the new cells will cost Apple between 20 and 30% more than the current versions. That could mean higher prices for the iPad 3, although Apple’s economies of scale might also reduce the cost of the device elsewhere. The truth is nobody really knows. Except Tim Cook, and he’s not telling.
The updated iPad 3 batteries are more than an aesthetic or space-saving improvement though. Reports suggest they’ll offer longer lifespans between charges and “increased safety,” which is always nice.
Current speculation has the iPad 3 pegged for full scale production in the first quarter of 2012. Wil you be buying one, or should we all be holding out for the iPad 4?
