iPad 3 specs and release date: rumor round-up

Well, folks, it's once again the beginning of the year, which means we're once again close to witnessing the launch of another iPad. However, as always, Cupertino has done its best to keep any details away from prying eyes, so we're pretty much left to deal with a number of rumors and some other speculation. But, our excitement for the third offering in Apple's tablet line is too big, not allowing us to stay still and wait patiently until the company finally lifts the veil off the new iPad. That's why we wanted to gather all the few, but very interesting tid bits around the iPad 3 and see if this would allow us to get a better idea of what the final product may end up being.


iPad 3 vs iPad 2S vs iPad HD

Right from the start, we should acknowledge the fact that there are two main theories surrounding the upcoming Apple tablet: the first one claims that what we'll see will be introduced as a full-fledged, redesigned successor (iPad 3), while the second one sticks to the belief that we'll actually be treated to a slightly upgraded, refreshed model (iPad 2S).

Of course, the exact product name shouldn't bother us, as long as there are enough new features and improvement. Initially, it was rumored that the iPad 3 will come with a quad-core A6 processor - a logical move forward from the dual-core A5. However, some unofficial sources have claimed that it's also possible for us to see an iPad 2S with an enhanced dual-core A5 (A5 is the iPad 2's processor), instead of a quad-core A6.

UPDATE: According to a recent rumor, Apple's third generation tablet will be known as the iPad HD, which is a name that would clearly highlight the device's upgraded display. That same iPad HD moniker also appeared on an accessory listing not long ago. Of course, the name could be nothing but a placeholder, so nothing is certain just yet.


iPad 3 specs

iPad 3 specs and release date: rumor round-up
Leaving the iPad 3 vs iPad 2S vs iPad HD clash to the side, there are still other sources that would rather assume that the iPad 3 will have a processor dubbed A6, however, it will still be dual-core, but will have an overall better performance and a significantly more powerful graphics unit. As you can see, everything surround the next iPad's processor right now can fall into the category of wild speculation, and the many different takes on the matter don't really help us determine which one's the most likely. One idea is shared by all theories, though - the iPad 3 will have a faster processor! Whether it will have two or four cores, however, remains to be seen.

The screen is another vital point that's been subject to a lot of debate in the community. Obviously, the iPad 2's 1024x768 pixel, 132 ppi display isn't among the prettiest ones, due to its relatively low pixel density, so having a higher resolution in the new model seems anything but unexpected. All in all, the debate here centers around the question if the iPad 3 will have a higher-res display, or not. If yes, everyone is looking at 2048x1536 px, as this would double the pixel density of the screen, the same way that Apple once doubled the pixel density of the iPhone, when introducing the iPhone 4. If the screen size remains the same - 9.7", and it probably will, that would translate into a ppi (pixels per inch) of 264, allowing for much finer text and details, but a bigger strain on the hardware as well.

Then comes the subject of LTE. Thankfully, everyone seems to agree here that the iPad 3 should sport LTE connectivity (though it's 99% sure that there will also be a Wi-Fi-only variant), compatible with Verizon's and AT&T's 4G networks. For now, Qualcomm is seen as the most probable producer of the chip, though surprises can still be expected. Naturally, the radio is also believed to support other connectivity options such as HSPA+ and EV-DO Rev. A and B, where 4G LTE is unavailable.

iPad 3 specs and release date: rumor round-up
One of the more peculiar rumors insists that the new Apple iPad will be thicker than its predecessor by about 1mm. And while that different won't be really noticeable to the naked eye, it sure intrigues us to know why such a measure could have been taken. The answer is that — again, according to those fellas that are said to be familiar with the matter, but no one actually knows who they are — this change was needed in order to be able to fit a larger battery, which, some say, will be able to provide a battery life that's almost twice as long. Wow! This actually sounds pretty cool, and we do hope it will turn out true. One millimeter of thickness for almost 2x the battery life - oh, we are so a-OK with that!

Of course, many people out there (with and without any internal knowledge) believe that the iPad 3 will have an upgraded camera, and we're willing to agree, though we don't expect any wonders in this respect.

iPad 3 specs and release date: rumor round-up
UPDATE: Some claim that the next-gen iPad will drop the physical home button in favor of a capacitive one, and they even have evidence to back up that theory.

If you take a close look at the official invitation to Apple's March 7 event (pictured on the right), a physical button is, obviously, missing on the device's bezel.

Of course, whether these claims hold water or not will become known in a very short while.


iPad 3 release date and pricing

Now, for the question that's probably in everyone's head right now. When is Apple going to finally put an end to all of this wild speculation and unveil the real thing? Once again, it's hard to find a single, solid theory that's able to make everything else seem like far-fetched guesses, but there is a couple of dates that are being suggested for us to mark in our calendars. Having in mind that the first two iPads were introduced in January and the very beginning of March , respectively, it makes sense for Apple to hold an event very, very soon.

The more optimistic forecast is that Apple will show us the device on February 29, and will then launch it sometime around March 9. The other prognosis prefers the first week of March as the time of unveiling, and then sees mid-March as the timing for the eventual release. There's one conclusion we can draw from all this - the iPad 3 should come out of hiding by mid-March at the latest.

UPDATE: Apple will be hosting an event on March 7, and it is pretty certain that the next-gen iPad will be under the spotlight. And given that new iPad accessories are reportedly already in stock at some big box retailers' outlets, we can expect the device to be made available for purchase soon after its announcement. As far as pricing is concerned, rumor has it that the next iPad will cost just as much as the iPad 2 does.

And that's pretty much all we have, folks. Now tell us - are you excited about the upcoming iPad 3? What other stuff do you think will make its way into the device? What would YOU like to see in it? We're looking forward to hearing what you think!
Source-itechix

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iPad 3 Latest Reports Say Screen Sharpness is Nearly as Good as Billed

Apple's enhanced display on its yet-to-be-unveiled iPad 3 appears to be the worst kept secret, judging by all the eyes that are reportedly able to see it.

MacRumors owner Arnold Kim says anyone can buy the next iteration of the popular tablet at the Chinese website TrueSupplier. The skinny: The screen measures 9.7 inches in diagonal, the same size display as used in the iPad and iPad 2, but the resolution is four times as sharp.

Apple is reportedly expected to take the ribbon off the iPad 3 on March 7. Experts say it could include support for 4G LTE, more internal memory, and perhaps Apple's first quad core processor. For now, a lot of the speculation is focused on the display.

"When comparing the iPad 3 display to one from an iPad 2 under a microscope, the difference in resolutions becomes readily apparent, with the iPad 3 display's pixels appearing to be one-quarter the size of those on the iPad 2," reports MacRumors, which says it got its hands on one and used its measurements to extrapolate what the iPad 3 screen resolution should be: 2048 by 1536. That's four times the resolution of Apple's current and first-generation tablets.

PCWorld’s Matt Peckham has made the interesting point, however, that the "retina" description that's been applied to the next iPad is simply a marketing term Apple uses to refer to displays with greater than 300 ppi (pixels per inch), which is the maximum number the average human retina can discern. The iPhone 4 and 4S, running at 960 by 640 pixels across 3.5 inches diagonal, meet this requirement, but the iPad 2, running at 1024 by 768 pixels across 9.7 inches diagonal, doesn't.

When you compute a 2048 by 1536 pixel density across a 9.7-inch screen, it comes out to about 264 ppi, short of the generally accepted 300 ppi threshold. But, as the pundits point out, that's still a big improvement from the iPad 2's pixel density.

As for where MacRumors got the display, Kim said it wasn't stolen, but rather is readily available, much to Apple's chagrin. He says the TrueSupplier site sells an "OEM Apple iPad 3 LCD Screen Display Replacement" for $122.99.

On its website, Truesupplier says it serves more than 65 percent of the U.S. market and is a global provider of mobile data products, software and consulting services, headquartered in Shenzhen, China, with branches in Hong Kong. Apple iPads are made in China, and Apple is currently embroiled in a spat with a Chinese company that claims it holds the rights to the iPad name in China.

Source-itechix

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China faces conflict between law and business in dispute over iPad trademark

BEIJING — Chinese officials face a choice in Apple’s dispute with a local company over the iPad trademark — side with a struggling entity that a court says owns the name or with a global brand that has created hundreds of thousands of jobs in China. Experts say that means Beijing’s political priorities rather than the courts will settle the dispute if it escalates.
Shenzhen Proview Technology has asked regulators to seize iPads in China in a possible prelude to pressing Apple Inc. for a payout. There have been seizures in some cities but no sign of action by national-level authorities.
Proview has a strong case under Chinese trademark law, but that could quickly change if Beijing decides to intervene to avoid disrupting iPad sales or exports from factories in southern China where the popular tablet computers are made, legal experts say.
“If this becomes political — and it’s very easy to see this becoming political — then I think Apple’s chances look pretty good,” said Stan Abrams, an American lawyer who teaches intellectual property law at Beijing’s Central University of Finance and Economics.
The dispute centers on whether Apple acquired the iPad name in China when it bought rights in various countries from a Proview affiliate in Taiwan in 2009 for 35,000 British pounds ($55,000).
Apple insists it did. But Proview, which registered the iPad trademark in China in 2001, won a ruling from a mainland Chinese court in December that it was not bound by that sale. Apple appealed. A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 29.
“My gut reaction is that many of these activities really could be seen as pre-settlement brinksmanship,” said David Wolf, a technology marketing consultant in Beijing. “Proview’s motive is money, not to shut down Apple.”
Shenzhen Proview Technology is a subsidiary of LCD screen maker Proview International Holdings Ltd., headquartered in Hong Kong.
Chinese news reports say Proview is deeply in debt, increasing the pressure for it to demand a substantial payout from Apple. Proview International, meanwhile, has been suspended from trading on the Hong Kong stock market since August 2010 and will be removed in June if it cannot show it has sufficient assets, business operations and working capital.
In a rapid-fire series of moves, Proview has filed a trademark-violation lawsuit that goes to court Wednesday in Shanghai.
That deadline is likely to prompt Apple to agree to a settlement within a few days to avoid the uncertainty of a court fight, said Kenny Wong, an intellectual-property lawyer with the firm Mayer Brown JSM in Hong Kong.
“I think Apple will be under immense pressure to have this settled as soon as possible,” he said. “Obviously, it depends on the amount the Shenzhen company is asking.”
In a statement, Apple said its deal with Proview covers the iPad trademark in 10 different countries, including China. “Proview refuses to honor their agreement with Apple in China and a Hong Kong court has sided with Apple in this matter,” Apple said.
Apple has pointed to a Hong Kong court ruling in July that said Proview and the Taiwan company both were “clearly under the control” of the same Taiwanese businessman, Yang Long-san, and refused to take steps required to transfer the name under the agreement.
Source-washingtonpost

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RIM registers 6600 developers in 11 days with free BlackBerry PlayBook promotion

RIM has recently extended a promotion that gave away a free BlackBerry PlayBook to anyone who submitted a "viable" app to BlackBerry App World. The promotion was to expire on Monday but RIM's Head of Developer Relations Alec Saunders has extended the deadline for the free PlayBook to March as developers have been signing up with the Canadian based manufacturer.
Saunders sent out a tweet on Tuesday proudly announcing that RIM had signed up 6600 developers in the previous 11 days. Developers have told Berry Review that it has been taking longer than usual to register as a developer, but RIM is supposed to have everything working fine now. And if you are a RIM investor worrying about the company giving away tablets for free, Saunders said these PlayBooks are part of 25,000 in RIM's inventory that have already been earmarked for developers since last fall. Besides, the company has already written down $485 million for unsold inventory which means that the company has already placed the value of these tablets at zero.

Regardless, it sounds like the developers were motivated by something in order to register with RIM. It wouldn't have been the free BlackBerry PlayBooks, right?

Source-phonearena

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All Eyes Should Be On Verizon This Quarter

After losing on its home turf to the iPhone last quarter, the Droid brand is stepping up with its strongest showing yet, backed by new models and great deals. But will it be enough?
The Droid brand was Verizon’s reaction to the AT&T exclusive iPhone. It was, I believe, smartly executed and became a synonym for Android phones. But then Verizon did get the iPhone and thanks to their first new iPhone launch, the iPhone 4S in October, it counted for 55% of Verizon’s smartphone sales last quarter. This happened despite the launch of the Droid RAZR and the Galaxy Nexus the same quarter, and the fact the iPhone currently lacks Verizon’s heavily promoted 4G LTE connectivity.
Droid 4This quarter, Verizon’s Droid is rallying strong with the release of the Droid RAZR MAXX and Droid 4, which are essentially Droid RAZRs with a bigger battery and a slide-out keyboard, respectively. It’s a good array of options for customers while maintaining a distinct, recognizable style. They are further supported by price cuts and buy-one-get-one deals, not to mention the network edge with 4G LTE. There’s also the Android flagship phone, Galaxy Nexus, backing it up. Droid and Android in general are going into the quarter with every advantage. That pretty much has to make an impact on Verizon’s iPhone sales, but how big an impact?
Line in the sand
We’ll have to wait and see on that, but I’m going to say the point of success is 45%. If the iPhone slips to 45% of Verizon’s smartphone sales, then I see the effort as being worthwhile. Knocking it from 55% to 45% doesn’t sound like a major feat, but you have to take Apple’s own efforts in selling iPhones into account.
On the flip side, if the iPhone continues to account for more sales than all other Verizon smartphones combined, then we know Droid is in trouble. Verizon didn’t bet all its money on iPhone like AT&T (and Sprint) did. It has other horses in this race. Collectively, the Droid brand needs to make a strong showing this quarter. It won’t be put down if it doesn’t, but the strategy will definitely need to be reviewed.
A microcosm of the smartphone war
iPhone 4S build qualityHowever it turns out, this battle on this carrier is a microcosm for the larger one between iPhone and Android. Kevin Tofel at GigaOM questions whether the iPhone surge at Verizon means Android’s best days are behind it. I don’t see it that way. The surge is exactly what I expected from the first launch of a new iPhone on the Verizon network. I believe Verizon expected it as well, hence the strong reaction with Droid this quarter. The iPhone surge was not, in my opinion, a sign of things to come. Instead I believe the direction of the smartphone war depends on what happens next.
The iPhone has rolled out at a slow, deliberate pace and has yet to reach every carrier. This left a huge void for another platform to fill as carriers sought their own iPhone alternative. Android’s triumph was to beat out all other contenders in filling that void, but that victory is mostly within that void, with carriers that don’t have the iPhone. It is only in this past year, particularly last quarter, that Android is facing the iPhone on U.S. carriers that were once iPhone-free. How the iPhone fares this quarter on Verizon, without the shock of a launch, will give us a more lucid indication of how well Android handles the challenge of head-to-head competition.
Android may, as Kevin Tofel wonders, falter or it could bounce back. This quarter on Verizon will show us which way it’s headed. The Galaxy Nexus with Android 4.0, a massive show of force with Droid, the 4G LTE advantage, special pricing on phones and data, this is Android at its strongest. It’s this quarter or never to dethrone the iPhone as Verizon’s smartphone sales king. If you want to know which way the winds of the smartphone war will blow, this is the battle to watch.
Source-gottabemobile

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WINDOWS 8 TABLETS: STILL HIDING

Considering that 2012 will be the year of Microsoft's dramatic upgrade to Windows 8, one might have thought the floor of the Consumer Electronics Show last week would be filled with prospective hardware platforms for the new Windows operating system. it might have seemed logical to expect that to hear lots about tablets with Windows 8. But news on that front was surprisingly...quiet.

While CEO Steve Ballmer talked Windows 8 at his keynote and showed a Qualcomm prototype tablet running Windows 8, Intel's Paul Otellini briefly showed a and Lenovo unveiled its innovative IdeaPad Yoga, a Windows 8-primed convertible notebook whose screen can twist around to turn into a tablet, little chatter was heard on the Windows tablet front.

The same three companies that showed off Windows 8 on ARM processors at BUILD were in the mix once more. Nvidia got things started by having a Microsoft rep do a five-minute demo of Windows 8 running smoothly on an Nvidia reference platform at its press conference. Then, just hours thereafter, Ballmer was on stage showing the Qualcomm tablet already seen at BUILD. And in private briefings off the show floor, Texas Instruments displayed a Windows 8 reference platform.
Running 7, Testing 8

A few Chinese tablet makers displayed tablets of distinctly generic design running Windows 7, but only one spoke specifically to Windows 8 plans. One tablet maker, Kupa, showed off its X11, a Windows 7 tablet available now that runs an Intel Atom Z670 processor; Kupa exhibited the tablet running the Windows 8 Developer's Preview, and billed it as Windows 8-ready thanks to its 1366-by-768-pixel, 16:9 aspect ratio display -- which matches to Microsoft's optimized target for Windows 8; and to the specs of Samsung's Series 7 tablet, distributed to Microsoft BUILD attendees last fall with the Windows 8 preview preinstalled.

But beyond the Yoga -- an inventive concept that's perfect for making noise at a big event like CES -- none of the tablet makers were ready to talk about Windows 8 on a tablet, and what we might expect to see in that form factor. Samsung had nothing to discuss at the show on the Windows 8 tablet front.

Fujitsu's Paul Moore, senior director of product development, hinted that Microsoft is encouraging a clean look on tablets that will run the new OS, but “they've been a bit vague so far.” Fujitsu, which already has the Stylistic Q550 on the market running an Intel Atom CPU, is looking at least one, maybe two updates to that model's specs by midyear. The company is looking at boosting performance for better video playback. “That seems to be the biggest challenge on Atom,” Moore says. “And that's the noticeable complaint customers have: The video is a little choppy.”
Windows 8: The CPU Question

The Windows 8 interface is clearly optimized for touch, but what remains unclear is what, if any, advantage Windows 8 will have when it comes to the tablet market. That's in part because Microsoft hasn't yet clarified if and how exist Windows apps will work on the Windows 8 version destined for use on ARM processors. ARM tablets will have a distinct weight, power, and likely price advantage over tablets with x86 processors, which makes the ARM tablet space an intriguing one to watch.

Meanwhile, Intel is readying a dual-pronged approached to tablets to compete with the coming ARM onslaught. Its single-core Medfield platform, launched at CES and due in the second quarter, is designed for Android; and its Clover Trail platform, due in the second half of this year, is built from the ground up for Windows 8. Clover Trail will replace the current Atom chips being used in most of the Windows 7 tablets available today, from companies like Fujitsu, Kupa, and Viewsonic; only Samsung, with its Core i5-based Series 7, has released a Windows tablet that uses the beefier CPU common to laptops.

What should users expect from ARM devices? In a private demo, Qualcomm showed off the second public Windows 8 build of its reference system, this time showing that the connected standby feature was enabled, even for connectivity like AT&T 4G LTE. Connected standby, a new state that powers down the system in a way that you can resume immediately, will enable 4G Windows 8 tablets to save power and extend battery life, for example.

“Microsoft has discussed this new [to its OS] concept of always on, always connected. We see this as a marriage of smartphone functionality and computing,” says Qualcomm's Steve Horton, director of software and product management. “The content you care about will be active, and you will be able to program it, and it will be able to be fed.”

While tablet makers were mum when asked how ARM platforms will influence their tablet designs, the use of ARM will no doubt keep things interesting. In a previous conversation at BUILD, Horton noted that with ARM chips, there's no restriction on form factor beyond the fact that Microsoft is asking hardware OEMs to stick to displays with 16:9 aspect ratio to match the optimal screen size for the new Windows 8 Metro interface.

When asked about Windows 8 tablets using ARM, for example, Senior Designer Junghwan Hong and Principal Designer Sangwon Yoon, the Samsung designers involved in creating the gorgeous, lightweight Series 9 laptop, shied away from specifics, but admitted that the prospect of ARM presents a new design opportunity and challenge.

“As designers, we are studying ARM,” Yoon says. “ We have a lot of different form factors for ARM devices. ARM has no fans, so for designers, that's a good feature.” One logistical challenge: ARM tablets will likely carry relatively low prices, which “means we cannot use fancy materials. But they have to look good. That's a challenge.”

And it's likely not the only challenge for Windows 8 tablets. Even without any solid teasers at CES, 2012 promises to shape into an interesting year for tablets running Microsoft's next operating system refresh.
Source-pcworld

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