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IPad 3 is coming. The 'new iPad' is just a temp release.

G

gladoscc

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 13, 2011
297
47
Why didn't apple call the new iPad the iPad 3? You might say they are getting rid of version numbers, but that's not the case as seen with the iPhone 5.

Apple's iPad and iPhone's processors work on a pipeline. A4 for the first iPad, the it moves to the iPhone 4 clocked 20% slower. A5 for the iPad 2, moved to the iPhone 4S again a fifth slower.

Now with the 'new iPad', A5X is absolutely the same. It is not more powerful. Not even graphically, this is because of the retina display. 4X the pixels, 4X the graphics fillrate needed to get the same visual image just with more aliasing.

Key points: new iPad does not feature a new SoC. It's just A5 with the needed GPU upgrade to keep up with the retina display.

The iPhone 5 features a dual core but much faster instructions per clock CPU. This is like qualcomm's chips. The problem is: this is clocked 20% slower than the iPad's given the pipeline. Now this means the iPad will be at the 1.6 GHz range which will definitely require much higher voltage bins, and just will not happen.

But with the A6 it features frequency scaling - kinda like intel's turbo. The iPad 3 will be able to run at 1.3GHz longer, while the iPhone will be throttled down after a bit of use. TDP/ heat constraints have never being a problem for iOS devices as they are all under locked, but A6 might be nearly hitting this gap. Next year, apple will probably follow intel's tick tock cycle and feature a A7 with simultaneous multithreading (dual core four threads) and more cache to boost IPC even more without much more power, because even with the ram speed upgrade a good portion of the time the chip is waiting for data from NAND.

So what does this have to do with the iPads ? A5X was a stopgap. The new iPad is thicker. That never happens. The only real feature is the retina display. The A6 wasn't ready, lightning wasn't ready, a redesign wasn't ready. People wanted a new iPad, and apple delivered a new iPad. Not the iPad 3.

Hurr durr it's the 4th iPad, not 3. So is the iPhone.
 
gladoscc said:
The A6 wasn't ready, lightning wasn't ready, a redesign wasn't ready. People wanted a new iPad, and apple delivered a new iPad. Not the iPad 3.
Click to expand...

I disagree with your sentiment that the name of the current iPad was meant to indicate a temporary stopgap, but you *did* hit the nail on the head here. Apple put the best production-ready technology they could in the current iPad, which of course didn't include the power efficient A6 or the lightning connector.
 
No.


If there was any truth to Apple replacing the new iPad it would be a multi-tiered SKU to accommodate the various sizes.


So we would see leaks of 3,6 - 3,11 for storage and wifi/cellular versions.

A single SKU. 3,6 can not then represent a new iPad lineup, but may be a second SKU for the iPad Mini, or in more liklihood represents the next 'cheaper iPad 3' that will launch alongside the next 'new 9.7" iPad ' in March next.

Hence the single SKU. Much like the single iPad 2 SKU being sold longside the new iPad.
 
Tubamajuba said:
The A6 wasn't ready, lightning wasn't ready, a redesign wasn't ready. People wanted a new iPad, and apple delivered a new iPad. Not the iPad 3.
Click to expand...
You know what? I love this theory.

When I upgraded both my wife and my iPad 2's to iPad 3's then I expressed how I felt it was a bit of a strange and weak upgrade (not much faster, low ram, heavier). Obviously, out here then blasphemy like that gets you stoned so I backed off and a few months later I simply sold my iPad 3 in favor of the iPad 2. But now that you bring it up that way then it actually does make sense to consider it a "stopgap device". They gave us what they could at the time to keep on schedule but it isnt necessarily the "Innovative Apple Product" you'd expect so making a true iPad 3 (Lightning, thinner shell, more RAM etc) would make sense.

That said, I don't see it happening simply because they sold too many new iPads and it would cause an uproar. (if die hard fans out here will complain then imagine the medias reaction) And Apple really doesn't need anymore negativity right now.
 
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urkel said:
You know what? I love this theory.

When I upgraded both my wife and my iPad 2's to iPad 3's then I expressed how I felt it was a bit of a strange and weak upgrade (not much faster, low ram, heavier). Obviously, out here then blasphemy like that gets you stoned so I backed off and a few months later I simply sold my iPad 3 in favor of the iPad 2. But now that you bring it up that way then it actually does make sense to consider it a "stopgap device". They gave us what they could at the time to keep on schedule but it isnt necessarily the "Innovative Apple Product" you'd expect so making a true iPad 3 (Lightning, thinner shell, more RAM etc) would make sense.

That said, I don't see it happening simply because they sold too many new iPads and it would cause an uproar. (if die hard fans out here will complain then imagine the medias reaction) And Apple really doesn't need anymore negativity right now.
Click to expand...

Well, I went from an iPad 1 to an iPad 3 and the performance difference is huge. I did bump for the 3 because of the additional ram knowing the 3 had the full 1gn of ram. I also got my first iPhone, the 5, and while its supposed to be sooo much faster I think they perform identical. I do think the next iPad will have the new chip but it won't be the iPad 3, they will do it for economy of scale.
 
I would love to see Apple's response to Microsoft surface.
Beef up ios or tone down osx and put it on a tablet. Would be awesome.
 
urkel said:
You know what? I love this theory.

When I upgraded both my wife and my iPad 2's to iPad 3's then I expressed how I felt it was a bit of a strange and weak upgrade (not much faster, low ram, heavier). Obviously, out here then blasphemy like that gets you stoned so I backed off and a few months later I simply sold my iPad 3 in favor of the iPad 2. But now that you bring it up that way then it actually does make sense to consider it a "stopgap device". They gave us what they could at the time to keep on schedule but it isnt necessarily the "Innovative Apple Product" you'd expect so making a true iPad 3 (Lightning, thinner shell, more RAM etc) would make sense.

That said, I don't see it happening simply because they sold too many new iPads and it would cause an uproar. (if die hard fans out here will complain then imagine the medias reaction) And Apple really doesn't need anymore negativity right now.
Click to expand...

The new ipad (ipad 3) has 1gb ram which is the same as the current iphone 5.

They added a retina display which a lot of people around here said wouldn't happen, better processor, better camera & 1gb ram. Other than it not being thinner/lighter its a good upgrade and performance is about the same as the iphone 5.
 
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While I agree that the A5X is an oddball of a SoC, I disagree with your other points. The reason Apple ditched the numbering system in iPads is because they planned to have multiple lines (i.e. iPad "classic" and iPad "mini"). Apple does sometimes trade off thickness for features, iPhone 3G being one notable example.
 
Even if the A6 wasn't ready, Apple still needs to give consumers a reason to buy the next iPad after the iPad 2. It was all about screen resolution. The A5X does a nice job even though it performs about the same as the iPad 2.

As a mfg you have to keep moving forward even in increments. No one was offering the ridiculous screen resolution in the iPad 3. Apple was the first. The iPad 4th Gen will get the needed speed bump.
 
Could be true... But the apple store calls it "iPad (Third Generation)"

Well, this conspiracy just died. No funeral, because no one liked it anyway.
 
gladoscc said:
IPad 3 is coming. The 'new iPad' is just a temp release.
Click to expand...

All models are a temp release. There's always a new model.
It's just a product, a machine, a gadget with with an annual revision.

The next one they bring out will be the 4th model. That's it! There's nothing more to it. You can argue to you're blue in the face about what ever name they call it. It will just be a name and will still be the 4th iPad.
 
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