February 29th, 2012 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Smartphones & Tablets | No Comments »
On March 7th, Apple will be presenting the new iPad 3 to the press. Apple sent out the invites yesterday, so time for us to get the rumours surrounding the iPad 3 in-line.
No Home Button
The invite for the press conference shows the border of ‘an’ iPad. Since the distance between the icons is small, it is probably the top or the bottom part of the device. The border doesn’t seem to hold a camera or a home button. This suggest Apple to have removed one of the two. Since iOS 5, part of the functionality of the Home button is replaces by a five-finger pinch. Still it would make screenshots a bit harder to take.
Retina Display
Rumours speak about the new 2048×1536 pixel Retina Display. It was expected for the iPad 2 as well, but didn’t arrive back then. The reason? Probably because you need a more powerfull CPU and, if possible, a bit more RAM to play around with. So Retina will only come if Apple is indeed inserting a more powerfull SoC.
A5X or A6 CPU
Until about a month ago, everybody was expecting a quad-core A6 CPU from Apple. Right until a phone of an A5X CPU leaked onto the web. A CPU that is probably faster, but is still based on a dual-core architecture. Could the A5X power a Retina Display?
4G
Apple would also upgrade the iPad 3 with support for 4G connections. A logical step as it would improve the mobile internet experience a lot.
iPad 3 Models
The iPad 2 was launched with 12 models to choose from. As it seems now, the iPad 3 will arrive only in 9 model versions. Thr 3G/4G models will be available in black and white while the WiFi-only models will be launched in just one colour. Probably black.
iPad 3 Shipments
Shipments to the US and several other countries have started. Since Apple launched the iPad 2 in North America only a week after the introduction, they should start stocking up by now. As it seems, retailers are also preparing to get rid of their supplies. RadioShack slashed the prices if iPad 2 models with up to $50.
