Apple's iPad 2 Announcement—What To Look For On March 2
Well, we've got a date (March 2) and a theme ("Come see what the year 2011 will be the year of"), so the only question remaining is what the new iPad
Three Things Likely To Make It In iPad 2
Thinner and Lighter
One can hardly complain about Apple's first major hardware release in the tablet market as it only managed to exceed sales projections and set the bar for the current flooded field. However, the 9.7-inch "magical device" does weigh in at 1.5 pounds and this manifests itself whenever you hold the tablet up while reading for an extended period of time. A lighter iPad 2 is surely due, and a sub one-pound device carries a spec-friendly number and one that's likely to be accompanied by an emphasis on a much thinner tablet.
Faster and on Multiple Carriers
With multitasking enabled in the iOS 4.2.1 update, the iPad's original 1GHz A4 processor may be pushed a bit, and although it has admirably handled app switching, there is a noticeable decrease in the snappiness that one expects from an Apple product. Thus, a dual core processor seems to be in store to stock the new iPad with the hardware needed to accomplish both what's currently possible and what's possibly in store (see below).
Cameras, Plural
It's almost as if Apple purposefully left out the camera from the original iPad so that they could make a big splash with its addition on the next generation iPad. Surely, the technology was present a year ago, no? Well, next week, we're certain to receive not just one but two cameras and more importantly, full integration with FaceTime. With the iPad 2, Apple will have a huge influx of devices that will end up using the video chat application. Could 2011 be the year of the video chat now that FaceTime will work on the iPad? Quite possibly.
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