iPad 3 Features, Release Date Rumors Gaining Traction: What Are the Expectations?

Apart from the newly released iOS 5.0.1 untethered jailbreak for A4 devices, another topic creating a lot of buzz in the tech world these days is the release of Apple's next generation iPad aka iPad 3. The device, which is expected to be launched towards the end of this month, is rumored to arrive in two sizes and have a set of enhanced features.

Let's have a look at the much-hyped expectations related to the forthcoming Apple iPad 3.

Two Models

The rumor about the two versions of iPad 3 has been floating around even before the holidays. However, it gained traction after Digitimes reported last week that Apple is set to unveil two versions of its next-generation tablet, one for the high-end segment and one for the mid-range segment. The new models of iPad 3 will join the iPad 2, demonstrating Apple's complete iPad series targeting the entry-level, mid-range and high-end market segments, said the report.

Barclays Capital also believes that the Cupertino tech-giant may unveil two iPads in 2012. According to one of its analysts, while one model of the iPad 3 will come with better cameras, higher resolution display, an A5 processor and Siri in March, another one will hit the market later this year, featuring a faster processor and 4G LTE.

Release Date

According to Digitimes, Apple is expected to release both the versions of its next generation iPad at the iWorld (formerly known as Macworld) trade show in San Francisco on Jan. 26.

On the other hand, various other reports speculated that the iPad 3 would be uncovered on Feb. 24, on the occasion of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs's birthday. However, Apple officials haven't made any comment on the matter.

Going with Barclays Capital's report, one version of the forthcoming iPad is expected in March, while the other one is likely later this year.

Enhanced Battery Life

Digitimes' report cited sources at Apple's supply chain partners that said the new iPad is expected to have enhanced battery life, with a capacity of as high as 14,000 milliampere-hour (mAh) used in the new iPads. The report even stated that Simplo Technology and Dynapack International Technology have both secured orders for batteries.

The Processor

While some reports suggest that the iPad 3 will feature the A5 processor, the brain in the iPhone 4S and existing iPad 2, rumors are also rife that Apple continues to give contract Samsung to manufacture the A6 processors, which are likely to be used in the next-generation iPads.

Display

In a recent report, MacRumors claimed to have acquired a leaked photo of the iPad 3 suggesting that the device will come with the same 9.7-inch size display, although with a different resolution.

The report further stated that iPad 3 is expected to sport a high resolution screen of 2048x1536 which is four times the number of pixels of the current iPad 2.

Last week, there were reports saying that Apple will be utilizing IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) flat panels instead of IPS (in-plane switching panels) in its next-generation mobile display products such as the iPad 3.

In November last year, a research note from Jefferies analyst Peter Misek also claimed that Apple and Sharp together have a modified IGZO (indium, gallium, zinc) technology to achieve 330 dpi, which is sufficient for an HD display while not using IPS nor having to include dual-bar LED backlighting, MacRumors reported.

Face Recognition

Will the next generation iPad recognize users by face? Well, this is what the latest rumors suggest. According to MacRumors, a patent had been filed in 2010 that says a user profile would be immediately accessed once the iPad recognizes a user's face.

The face detection system could be a low-power system that is always active, allowing face detection to be the primary method to unlock your iOS device, the report said.

Siri and Other Features

Other new iPad 3 features are reportedly likely to include Siri, iCloud and iTune Match for cloud-based storage of music, movies and TV shows. According to a Spacelab report, the iPad 3 is also expected to feature plenty of new iPad apps like the upcoming Spotify iPad app.

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