Today’s the day when the wait is finally over, the speculation comes to an end, and we find out which of the rumours were accurate, which were way off the mark, and what Apple managed to slip completely under the radar. It’s the long-awaited launch of the new iPad – iPad 3, iPad HD, iPad 2S? Let’s call it the 3rd generation iPad for now. As with any new Apple product, the rumour mill has been in overdrive leading up to the announcement. Here’s a round up of what may or may not be revealed…
Super high resolution display
It’s widely expected that the new iPad will feature a super sharp retina display, as introduced with the iPhone 4 – indeed, many of us were surprised when it wasn’t featured on the iPad 2.
A more powerful processor
Sources claim that inside will be a dual-core “A5X” processor, running faster than the A5 processor in the current model.
Increased RAM
It’s also been suggested that the new model could receive a RAM boost, although no mention of how much. The iPad 2 carries 512 MB.
4G/LTE connectivity
While it’s not taken hold yet, 4G is likely to get big in the near future. While this is an outside bet, there’s a chance we could see it as an option.
No home button
When the event invite went out, theories were raised by the home button not being visible on the pictured device. The removal of the button from iOS devices has been discussed at length, might it finally be gone?
Improved camera
This would be a natural progression – each iPhone has had a better camera than the previous model, and it makes sense to do the same with the iPad.
Siri
It’s not unreasonable to expect the 3rd gen iPad to have the technical capabilities to run the iPhone 4S’s voice recognition feature, unavailable on the iPad 2.
A cheaper iPad model
With increasing competition from the lower end of the tablet market – notably Amazon’s Kindle Fire – Apple may bring out a lower spec iPad, possibly with 8 GB of storage, in an attempt to capture some of those lower end users.
Price cuts on existing models
Another possible method to gain users at the lower end, this is a move we’ve seen with previous iPhone launches.
iOS 5.1
The next update to iOS has been in testing for a while now, and the release of the new iPad would be a logical time to put it live. iOS 5.1 is known to bring a modified lock screen, allowing easier camera access, and Japanese support for Siri, along with other as yet unannounced features.
So there we have it. Just a few more hours of rumour and speculation to go before everything becomes clear. If I was a betting man, my money would be on the retina display and improved processor. We’ll be watching with great interest to see what’s announced. Keep your eyes on CoolSmartPhone for all the latest.