What the iPad 3 Looks Like

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Posted by samzenpus on Monday February 13, 2012 @05:25AM from the take-a-look dept.

redletterdave writes "If you were expecting a radically different-looking tablet from the iPad 2, prepare for a minor letdown. In the same way Apple upgraded the iPhone 4 into the iPhone 4S, the exterior of the iPad 3 mirrors that of the iPad 2, despite completely renovated and upgraded innards. iLab Factory reportedly provided Sharp with the necessary parts to build the high-resolution iPad 3 display, and in a company blog post, various iPad 3 components are displayed alongside those of the iPad 2 for quick comparison. In addition to a new camera mount that will reportedly match or improve upon the 8-megapixel camera system in the iPhone 4S, the post also revealed that the iPad 3 will be approximately 1 mm thicker than its predecessor to house Apple's upgraded components, including a bigger battery, an improved camera, and a dual-LED lit system to make the 2048 x 1536 display even brighter."

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Cheaper iPad 2 by Overly+Critical+Guy · 2012-02-13 05:25 · Score: 1, Interesting

It looks the same? Then surely it will be as big a "disappointment" as the iPhone 4S was according to analysts--which went on to sell 37 million last quarter. In all seriousness, while the so-called Retina Display is the thing I'm most looking forward to (especially for reading text), the most interesting rumor is that the iPad 2 will continue to be sold at $200 to compete with the Kindle Fire. While the iPad is still the most dominant tablet, the Kindle Fire had a decent run over the holidays. By selling the iPad 2 at a cheaper price alongside the iPad 3, Apple will have both the high end and low end covered. This is the same strategy they're using with the iPhone 3GS (in fact, it's often free with contract), which helped Apple close the gap with Android's marketshare in December.
The next few years are going to be really fun to watch as companies fight over this new market. I think it's inevitable that phones and tablets will become the primary computing devices for most users in a matter of years, because they let people do the things that they use PCs for--Facebook, YouTube, email--without the hassle of PC maintenance. Tablets are already outselling the desktop PC market. Some people don't like "appliance computing", but having grown up with handheld consoles, I see appliance computing as a natural evolution and something to look forward to. PCs will still be around for those who need them.

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"Sufferin' succotash."
1. Re:Cheaper iPad 2 by Tharsman · 2012-02-13 05:37 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  I seriously doubt they will shoot so low. At best I expect a price drop to $350 (but most likely $399) for the iPad 2 (and only available Wi-Fi 16 GB without cell data options.)
  As for the PC market vs. Tablets... I got to ponder... Many people are defensive saying that tablets can't or should never take over and that PCs must live for us to keep our computing freedom... but what if we are looking at it wrong? What if we look at tablets not as downgraded computers but as the next evolutionary step for consoles and handheld entertainment units?
2. Re:Cheaper iPad 2 by pseudofrog · 2012-02-13 05:59 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Notice that the time-stamp of the response is the same as the time-stamp of when the story came live. Notice the lack of an asterisk, meaning he isn't a subscriber. Notice how quickly it went to +5, and the jabs at Google (much less pronounced than normal, however).
  
  He (and bonch, and a few others) are either shills or fanboys who are waaay too invested.
3. Re:Cheaper iPad 2 by mveloso · 2012-02-13 05:59 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Actually, my iPad 1 battery life is just fine. And it runs pretty much all the apps that my iPad 2 does. Same goes for my iPhone 2G - battery life is still good, and it still runs a surprisingly large number of apps, even at iOS 3.1.3.
  Quite frankly, you should do some research before you speculate
4. Re:Cheaper iPad 2 by travisco_nabisco · 2012-02-13 06:31 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  Unfortunately Microsoft is likely to make UEFI a requirement for Windows 8 machines. This means a 5 year old PC won't run Windows 8 at all.
The biggest question.... by mwfischer · 2012-02-13 05:40 · Score: 5, Interesting

Will it be 4G or 3G?
3G = who cares.
4G = needs a nuclear reactor for 5 hours of battery life.
There is no clear win.
1. Re:The biggest question.... by rsmith-mac · 2012-02-13 06:51 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  Actually for a tablet it won't make all that huge of a difference. On a tablet the primary power consumer is the screen, not the electronics; the electronics are almost an afterthought compared to trying to light up a 9.7" screen. This is the inverse of phones where the electronics are the primary consumer and the screen is the secondary consumer (although it's not lopsided like it is on tablets).
  So Apple could easily throw in a 40nm LTE radio with only a small impact to battery life (~1H). However it's Apple, so they're more likely to use a 28nm radio, in which case the power hit will be noticeably less, and not all that different from a 3G radio.
All these leaks... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-13 05:43 · Score: 3, Interesting

Apple is carefully leaking information to dilute the new tablets that are going to be presented in the Mobile World Congress 2012 just in a few days. Samsung is rumored to present there a tablet with high resolution like the iPad3 and Apple might not catch up in time, and it seems that they are leaking this and announcing a bit afterwards...
Ok, but why buy it by obi1one · 2012-02-13 05:45 · Score: 3, Interesting

I bought an ipad 1 right when it came out, because it was exactly what I had been waiting for, a large screen web surfing/media consumption device. The question is, how is apple going to get me to upgrade it? Sure the ipad 3 will load web pages faster, but I doubt itll be 500$ faster. It may run some applications better, but I just want to consume media. By designing a device that (at least for me) is just about media consumption, the only way I can be driven to upgrade is by some form of media coming out that my ipad cant handle.
1. Re:Ok, but why buy it by AdrianKemp · 2012-02-13 06:39 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  So aside from the fact that you're trolling extremely poorly:
  An iPad/year is a cost of $1.50 a day, you want to talk about expensive "status symbols" (seriously, if you think the iPad is a status symbol get a life) look no further than gourmet coffee.
  Now since I actually do things for a living, my iPad is both paid for by my company and even if it wasn't a buck fifty a day to keep something I use several hours a day up to date is a fantastic deal... I use my car less than that and it costs a hell of a lot more.
Re:Why would it be radically different? by Osgeld · 2012-02-13 06:03 · Score: 1, Interesting

http://www.pcwelt.de/galerien/iPad-Vorgaenger-1008126.html?bild=3
yes no one had glossy black tablets with 1 inch radius corners before iPad, not that 1992 compaq I linked to above
Re:Thus the proof that Apple is not about status by spire3661 · 2012-02-13 07:29 · Score: 4, Interesting

To me, my iphone is the first device ive ever looked at and said, "you are the progenitor of the Tricorder". Pocket computing began with the iphone. You may look at the device as a trinket, to me its one of the most powerful tools ever to be created.

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Good-bye
Re:I'll tell you why by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-13 08:40 · Score: 0, Interesting

Overly Critical Guy, also known as bonch, DCTech, TechGZ, insightin140bytes, InterestingFella, SharkLaser, cmdrpony, bogaboga... ...is a shill account employed by a marketing company dedicated to astroturf slashdot with criticism targetting Google.