Apple will likely unveil the iPad 2 next week. Possible new features include dual cameras, slimmer body and a more powerful processor. But Adobe Flash support? Unlikely.
Next week, Apple is widely expected to introduce the next version of its popular iPad.
Apple’s media invitation to the San Francisco event features an iOS calendar icon for March 2, its upper-right corner peeled away to reveal the edge of an iPad. That not only removes any questions over the focus of Apple’s announcement, but also poses a challenge to Motorola, whose Android-based Xoom tablet just hit store shelves.
The Xoom, along with other Android-based tablets either on the market or in the development pipeline, aim to break the iPad’s headlock on the consumer tablet market. It comes with Google’s Android 3.0, also known as “Honeycomb,” which has been optimized for tablets. Hardware includes a 10.1-inch screen (with 1280 x 800 resolution), Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor, front- and rear-facing cameras, and 32GB memory.
Pair those specs with an $800 price tag, and it seems clear the Xoom is aiming at the market segment currently occupied by the highest-end iPads. But Apple isn’t a company to take challenges lightly: by all indications, the next iPad will include a number of features designed to keep the tablet on top of the market.
And therein lies a bit of a challenge for Apple. Since its April 2010, the iPad has sold around 15 million units. If the next iPad’s new features prove so wide-ranging and spectacular as to instantly antiquate its predecessor, it could irritate a substantial portion of those 15 million users who shelled out hundreds of dollars for their tablet. On the other hand, if the iPad 2 offers only incremental upgrades to the existing software and hardware, Apple could lose ground against increasingly aggressive (and increasingly powerful) competitors.
With that in mind, what potential features will make the cut in the iPad 2?
Front- and Rear-Facing Cameras
Rumors have circulated for months that Apple intends to integrate both front- and rear-facing cameras into the next iPad. That would allow the company to blunt competition from other tablets with a dual-camera setup, while letting iPad users take advantage of the FaceTime video-conferencing application already present in the iPhone and iPod Touch. In addition, an iPad rear camera would likely have the capability to take both photos and high-definition video. Likelihood: Almost Certain
Article from: http://www.eweek.com
No comments:
Post a Comment