Roundup: iPad 3 rumors

by Vincent Chang | 15 February 2012 5:47pm SGT

It's that time of the year again. Yes, the rumor mills are working overtime as we approach March, which is usually when Apple announces the next version of its iPad tablet. We expect the same to happen this year, but with so much speculation, who is to be believed?

Wait, will it even be called an iPad 3?

This isn't exactly a rumor, but while everyone is talking about the iPad 3, do we even know that Apple won't pull another "iPhone 4S" on us and call it an iPad 2S? In any case, we'll refer to the next iPad as the iPad 3 in this article.

Here's what we think of the more persistent rumors.

The iPad announcement--March 7 event

Possibility: Close to a slam dunk

The current iPad 2 was revealed early March last year. Apple may be highly secretive about its upcoming products, but when it comes to launching them, it's as regular as clockwork. If you are looking to buy an iPad, you should wait a couple more weeks before deciding. You already waited that long, haven't you?

A higher-resolution screen

Possibility: Very high

Ever since Apple released the iPhone 4, the company has been touting its sharp, high-resolution Retina Display. It only makes sense for Apple to bring this feature to its tablet. It may not have been feasible last year, but it looks very possible now. The odds are good that the iPad 3 will have a 9.7-inch, 2,048 x 1,536-pixel display manufactured by Sharp.

The back housings of an iPad 2 (left) and a rumored iPad 3, shown side by side. (Credit: Repair Labs)

A more powerful processor

Possibility: Very high

With a higher-resolution display, it's likely that a more powerful processor is required to maintain the expected level of performance. Hence, we are pretty confident the iPad 3 will have a quad-core chip as previously reported by Bloomberg. Even if Apple does surprise us and it ends up being just a dual-core version, we expect higher clock speeds.

4G/LTE support

Possibility: Very high

None other than the reputable Wall Street Journal has reported that the iPad 3 will get 4G LTE support. This would give a boost to telcos in the US who have launched their LTE networks. However, this technology isn't that pervasive yet even in the US. Apple also isn't one to add the latest hardware just for bragging rights, so there's a small chance that we may not see this feature.

Of course, Apple would also have 3G and Wi-Fi versions of the iPad, so if you're living in an area where there's no LTE coverage, this rumor isn't terribly important.

An 8-inch model

Possibility: Medium

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Apple has been looking at suppliers of 8-inch screens, which could indicate that the company may be planning a smaller iPad. While Apple has generally kept a small product portfolio, a less costly 8-inch iPad makes sense to us--Amazon's 7-inch Kindle Fire may not compare with the iPad in terms of features and build quality, but it's still very popular.

The late Steve Jobs once shot down the idea of a smaller iPad, but with Tim Cook at the helm now, would Apple change its mind?

An iPad between the size of the Kindle Fire (left) and the standard iPad (right)?.

Better cameras

Possibility: Very high

We don't see ourselves taking photos with the rear camera on the iPad, but many do and the cameras on the current iPad are rudimentary at best.

With the iPhone 4S having one of the better cameras on a smartphone, it's likely that Apple will improve the ones on the iPad, especially coupled with the possible high-resolution display. A better front-facing camera would also help with Apple's FaceTime feature.

A different design

Possibility: Low

Apple has been conservative when it comes to redesigning its products, so we are quite sure that outwardly, the next iPad will resemble the current version. So far, the purported internal housing of the iPad 3 appears to indicate that while the hardware innards may be different, the external chassis of the tablet should remain similar.

Siri

Possibility: High

It's one of the most high-profile features on the iPhone 4S, but it's also a feature that requires an Internet connection to work properly.

Hence, while we believe that it makes sense for Apple to have this feature on all of its newest devices, the company may not want to include this feature if there's a small chance that users will get frustrated at Siri when it fails (i.e. when the Internet connection is iffy).

Of course, there's always the chance that Apple may choose to implement Siri selectively on 3G/LTE models that are always connected.

What you won't find on the iPad 3

Now that you have seen the features that are likely to appear on the next iPad, what about those that you're less likely to see? Here's a list:

Adobe Flash support
NFC capability
Stylus
MicroSD card slot
Micro-USB/micro-HDMI ports

If you need those features badly, you could consider Android-based slates or maybe even Windows 8 versions in the future. There's more about tablets in our guide, but in the meantime, tell us what you wish to see on the iPad 3 in the comments below.

About the author

After years of reviewing the innards of PCs in his previous job, Senior Writer Vincent Chang has moved on to covering notebooks and PC systems at CNET Asia. A big reader of sci-fi and fantasy, he has accepted the inevitable and gone down the e-book route, though he's still resisting the siren call of the Kindle.

Vincent Chang, Senior writer