Next iPad to Add Five New Features including USB Port?

[MacRumors]

Digitimes relays a report from Chinese-language Economy Daily News which claims that Apple's next generation iPad will add 5 distinct new features. The newspaper cites industry sources for the information.

The five new features include "video phone, better mobility, USB port, new display technology and 3-axis gyroscopes."

The gyroscope, video phone (FaceTime) and better mobility (thinner/smaller) have been expected features of the new iPad. Meanwhile, the quote from the paper suggests the new displays will be "Retina Display" technology that will enhance "image and color output". Finally, the USB connector is perhaps the most surprising.

All of Apple's iOS devices have been based around the dock connector for charging and syncing. This proprietary connector also gives Apple some control over the accessory market for their devices. But, this isn't the first time we've heard that Apple will be adding a USB connector to their next iPad. Back in September, Goldman Sachs analysts described the next iPad as a lighter/thinner and with a mini USB connector. Apple's adoption of USB may be due to regulations passed in Europe requiring the adoption of a universal USB charging standard amongst mobile phone manufacturers including Apple.

Article Link: Next iPad to Add Five New Features including USB Port?

[TheGenerous]

USB is not happening

[the vj]

Good, that is the iPad I will buy then, for what? I do not know yet

[caliguy]

I think a lot of people have been holding out buying an iPad simply because of the lack of a FaceTime camera. It's an obvious implementation waiting to happen.

[ditzy]

USB and retina display I will believe when I see.

[jeffreyropp]

USB seems very unlikely - the rest seem like obvious steps forward.

[Rychy]

I'm getting the 2nd iPad no questions asked, I'd love it if all those features made it in... but "retina display" isn't happening. I think USB will happen at some point, guess I'm just hoping for sooner than later.

[inlovewithi]

That's why competition is good, else many here would be just happy with a feature limited iPad.

Though I don't think Apple would release 5 major feature all at once, it's more profitable to drag it out.

[wolfshades]

This looks promising.

You know - I knew as soon as I bought the 64 GB 3G iPad, that I would buy the next one as soon as it came out (and sell the one I have).

Evidently there is something wrong with me. Oh well.

[rorschach]

The resolution of a Retina Display on the iPad would be 2048 x 1536, just a little less than the 27-inch Cinema Dsiplay. How big of battery would be needed to power that thing?!

Also, USB isn't happening.

That said, FaceTime is a given, as is the gyro. And hopefully one or two "surprises" beyond just the natural, expected progression of features.

[sbrhwkp3]

Anyone want to buy a lightly used 16GB WIFI iPad?

[Cubert]

USB port? No.
Retina Display? No. "Better" display? Yes.
FaceTime? Yes.
Thinner and lighter? Yes. Barely.
Gyroscope stuff? Yes.

Mine:
Slightly bigger form factor - so it will be the size of a true keyboard when in landscape mode. Currently it's a tad bit too small.
NO BACKSIDE CAMERA!!! This makes NO sense at all.

[stridemat]

I was mildly surprised when the current iPhone 4 didn't come with a USB port. The next most likely will. Perhaps Apple are moving away from the dock connector?

[wordoflife]

New display technology? hell yeah!!!!!

USB port?

[punchwalk]

Originally Posted by Cubert

USB port? No.
Retina Display? No. "Better" display? Yes.
FaceTime? Yes.
Thinner and lighter? Yes. Barely.
Gyroscope stuff? Yes.

You nailed it here. It'll probably be marginally thinner and lighter because that just seems to be Apple's top benchmark for product evolution.

[nos]

Anyone else like to connect his/her iPod classic on the iPad?

A matter of having all songs at hand.

[kycophpd]

The reason I could see a rear camera is for scanning in papers. If you want it to be used more for business, add the back camera with a good enough resolution to scan an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper. I use this all the time on my iphone but would love to be able to use my ipad screen to frame it in rather than try to guess with my smaller iphone screen, and then have to port it over anyway.

[fishmoose]

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Interesting, can't see them using an USB port but you never know. A better screen is a given but I seriously doubt it will have as high of pixel density as the iPhone 4, I hope I'm proven wrong though.

[ikir]

If you need USB on iPad probably you are using iPad in a way it should not be used, it is not a computer but a multi-use mobile gadget complimentary to your computer.
Sure an usb could be useful but i don't see it on an iPad... USB means people expect usb drives to work, this mean you need mass storage drivers and maybe other device drivers but especially it means you must have a file system browser... which is not natural on a device like that. i can picture people make confusion with that, iOS must be super simple, with no filesystem. This is my opinion, i can be wrong

[2992]

if front facing camera, then I'll probably be buying one.
I'm holding off for now due to no front facing camera (and the obvious Flash support).

[Spanky Deluxe]

Maybe a 1280x960 display but I'd be very surprised if they can source a "retina display" version with 2048x1536 pixels at 10" - I haven't heard any rumours of a panel such as that available anywhere yet.

New display technology could mean a display that can switch to reflective mode - similar to e-ink displays meaning that you could use it without a backlight. I'd be surprised though since the contrast and colour quality on those is far below the kind of quality Apple likes to go on about.


rorschach, increasing the resolution of the display would likely have little to no impact on the battery life apart from a slight increase in graphics processing required to drive that resolution - it's the backlight that eats into battery life and they could easily use the same backlight as they're using now.

[ImNoSuperMan]

USB is possible (maybe limited to charging the ipad only) but retina wont happen this soon. Most probably with iPad 3. Doesnt make sense to increase the display resolution by 4X within one year. Not to mention such a big display with this high res will be too costly and difficult to manufacture and the battery drain and processor power needed to run it smoothly might be a bit too much to handle with current tech.

That said, I cant wait for higher res iPad. Current one pales in comparison when you compare it to iPhone 4's display.

[qtx43]

Originally Posted by Cubert

USB port? No.
Retina Display? No. "Better" display? Yes.
FaceTime? Yes.
Thinner and lighter? Yes. Barely.
Gyroscope stuff? Yes.

Mine:
Slightly bigger form factor - so it will be the size of a true keyboard when in landscape mode. Currently it's a tad bit too small.
NO BACKSIDE CAMERA!!! This makes NO sense at all.

A voice of sanity. It'd be great to see a display with the same pixels per inch as the phone's retina display, but what are people thinking? That would be way too expensive on a bigger device. The only thing I disagree with is the usb, normally it wouldn't happen. But if Europe forces them to put it on their phones, legally, then it would make sense to just standardize across the product line.

Originally Posted by ikir

If you need USB on iPad probably you are using iPad in a way it should not be used, it is not a computer but a multi-use mobile gadget complimentary to your computer.
Sure an usb could be useful but i don't see it on an iPad... USB means people expect usb drives to work, this mean you need mass storage drivers and maybe other device drivers but especially it means you must have a file system browser... which is not natural on a device like that. i can picture people make confusion with that, iOS must be super simple, with no filesystem. This is my opinion, i can be wrong

A file system browser means you wouldn't have to use iTunes to sync. Which would be a good thing. So, not going to happen if Jobs has any say about it.

[kyleen66]

I toyed with the idea of getting one, but with no USB there wasn't a good way to download pictures from my camera (Yes, I've been told there are adapters, but that sounds like a pain in the butt).

I'd be far more likely to buy an iPad if it had that feature.

[Rocketman]

Since the EU standard is for charging, there is no reason to physically connect it for data is there?

Rocketman