Analyst Brian Blair from Wedge Partners said in a note to investors that Apple is developing a new iPad with a Qualcomm multimode CDMA-GSM chips built in. In the U.S., such a chip would allow the iPad to run on both AT&T and Verizon networks, which use different wireless technology.
The addition of a CDMA iPad to Apple's product line would not come as a major surprise, as Apple has already begun selling the iPad through Verizon. However, because the 3G model is not compatible with Verizon's CDMA network, the carrier offers the Wi-Fi-only model bundled with a MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot for connectivity on the go.
Blair also indicated that the new iPad will be thinner and will have a forward-facing camera. In September, AppleInsider reported that Apple plans to move aggressively in pushing FaceTime, with future plans including a camera-equipped iPad.
"The new iPad is thinner than the existing model and is essentially made from one piece of metal with no pins needed," Blair wrote. "We understand it requires a new type of manufacturing process as a result, similar to the company's unibody approach seen in MacBooks."
43 Comments
This makes sense since there is more real estate inside an iPad. They can use slightly bigger chips for their radio.
It would be pretty funny if all verizon got was the iPad. I'm telling you, if they get the iPhone....they are going to rape people on charges. They will get an even bigger case of The Big Head.
You beat me to the exact same response.
The 3G model of Apple's next-generation iPad will be a "world mode" device with both GSM and CDMA radios, allowing Apple to sell one model for integrated wireless access, according to a new rumor.
I think this points toward Apple's 'cloud' music service that we've been hearing rumors of. Basically, like Pandora on your iPad, only you can get a version that will be 3G for music only. This'd be awesome -- an iPad as your music server. I've always thought Apple needed something better audio-wise to compete against Logitech's Squeezebox and the Sonos system. It could make a great stand-alone music jukebox.
I haven't bought an iPad because I have a netbook running a Logitech Squeezebox of my music collection that consists of 90GB of .flac files. If and iPad would do something similar, I'd be all over that. I've already coverted my .flac's to .m4a's for the day when the iPad gets 128GB of memory.
Yawn. The original iPad was "rumored" to be a Verizon exclusive device up until it's announcement. Actually if you remember, the Wall Street Journal "confirmed" it was a CDMA device according to their sources in the know.
Still...regardless of how unreliable any rumors involving CDMA and Verizon are...the iPad makes way more sense for them to make CDMA, since it would not suffer from having some functionality toned down.