Rumors continue to swirl over Apple’s next generation iPad, and one reliable Taiwanese newspaper says the new device will be out in the first quarter of 2011, complete with video calling, two cameras, new display and touch technology, and a USB port to connect easily to other devices.
First off, the original source of this juicy piece of Steve Jobs and Co. gossip comes from the Chinese-language Economic Daily News financial newspaper. As Dan Nystedt of PC World notes, that is the same publication that was first to report that Apple was going to release a tablet device, while other news sources remained convinced the product was going to be a netbook. The fact that the paper is based in Taiwan is also encouraging given that country’s heavy involvement in consumer electronics manufacturing space.
Then again, the same newspaper also reported in August that the iPad 2 would be based on a smaller 7-inch touchscreen supplied by China’s Chimei Innolux Corp. Then in October, Steve Jobs himself made it abundantly clear that would not be the case.
The report continues to describe the “video-phone feature”, which will undoubtedly be FaceTime, the video-chatting standard introduced by Apple earlier this year.
The feature is expected to benefit Apple iPad’s webcam suppliers, the report notes, adding that “iPad 2 may adopt smaller size panels featuring thinner glass.”
Apple has shown no interest in offering USB support with its iPods, iPhones, and, finally, the iPad, but the company might have had a change of heart lately, as the Chinese paper claims iPad 2 will feature such connectivity which, in turn, will open the doors to easier file management.
In an Oct. 6 research note, Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White informed that Apple was developing a smaller version of its tablet computer, estimating that the company could ship as many as 45 million iPads in 2011.
You might like: