AppleInsider Staff
The purported "iPad 3" photos clearly show (machine translation) the the rear-facing camera is larger than the iPad 2's, and the Taiwanese publication Apple Daily that published the pictures on Saturday claims that the change was made to accommodate an 8 megapixel sensor.
This would be a significant jump in resolution for the tablet, though a much-welcomed upgrade from the harshly-reviewed 1MP camera found on the iPad 2.
Previously leaked photos of an alleged "iPad 3" prototype case showed that the size of the camera hole was similar to that of the iPad 2, but it was noted that there was a change in how the sensor would be mounted.
In comparison, the iPhone 3G, 3GS and iPhone 4 all have higher resolution imagers at 2MP, 3.2MP and 5MP, respectively. The newest iPhone 4S has one of the best on-phone cameras in the world, boasting redesigned optics and a backside illuminated 8MP sensor capable of shooting 1080p videos.
Along with the change in lens size, the case of the alleged next generation iPad looks to be more beveled than its predecessor. This slight change in design is consistent with previously-published images of the back case, and is supposedly meant to afford more space for a larger battery.
Purported 'iPad 3' case and comparison photos. | Source: Apple Daily
The new photos are added to the pile of rumors and speculation that has slowly grown over the past month as the one-year anniversary of the iPad 2's launch grows near.
The "iPad 3" is rumored to sport a Sharp manufactured Retina Display with a pixel density similar to that of the iPhone 4S, wireless 4G LTE connectivity and a proprietary A6 CPU.
Rumors claim that Apple will announce the anticipated next generation tablet on March 7, almost exactly one year since the iPad 2 was introduced in 2011.
Charles Martin
Christine McKee
Oliver Haslam
134 Comments
Does anyone think any of these common rumours from components to event date are not going to happen? If you don't think some aspect will happen what is your reasoning?
Looks real to me, it's the kind of evolutionary change Apple does. I wonder if there will be a takedown request soon?
It's logical that it would get the 4S camera.
I hope it does have a larger battery. I think it's impossible to overestimate how much all-day battery is part of the iPad's success. If you had to plug it in every 2-4 hours people would have been put off.
Looks real to me, it's the kind of evolutionary change Apple does. I wonder if there will be a takedown request soon?
It's logical that it would get the 4S camera.
I hope it does have a larger battery. I think it's impossible to overestimate how much all-day battery is part of the iPad's success. If you had to plug it in every 2-4 hours people would have been put off.
Bigger battery needed to feed the denser display and heftier specs. Should end up about the same as iPad 2 charge time.
I haven't heard much about the iPad getting Siri, but I sure hope so.
The screen is rumored to be manufactured by LG and Samsung. Sharp is having trouble with yields.
Funny, I still think the original iPad case was a classier design. The iPad2 felt a bit cheaper.
Either way, I'm, surprised they haven't included the metal volume buttons introduced on the iPhone 4.