iPad: Possible Specifications - iPad 5

[daywiz]

Compare the specifications below, and give your take on what's the most likely to come on the iPad 5.

If the launch happens on:
Mar-Apr Launch

Looks: iPad Mini Looks & Thinner Bezels
Weight Around 550g
Screen Technology: GF2 Screen technology & IGZO ( with supply issues)
Processor: New updated A6X processor - maybe called A7 with clocked speed around 1.6-1.8 Ghz ( 28nm Soc, shifted from 32nm Soc)
RAM 1GB
Graphics: PowerVR SGX554MP4 ( same as ipad 4)
Front Camera: 1080p ( improved from 720p)
Back Camera: 8mp (improved from 5mp)
4G: Qualcomm M9615 ( improved from previously used M 9600 - for increased global LTE usage / coverage but little performance improvements - upto 100Mbps)
Wifi Broadcom BCM4334 (most likely same as ipad 4 as iPhone is more likely to get new wifi innovations first)
Operating System: iOS 6
Battery Life Around 12 hours


Sept - Oct
If the launch is on this time frame, the specs are likely to be quite different

Looks: iPad Mini Looks & Thinner Bezels
Weight Around 525-550g
Screen Technology: GF2 Screen technology & IGZO ( with less supply issues)
Processor: Possibly A all new A7X processor with clocked speed around 1.8-2.0 Ghz ( based on a 20nm SoC compared to 32nm SoC)
RAM: 1.5GB
Graphics: PowerVR SGX6400 or super high performance G6630( up from Series 5 on ipad 4)
Front Camera: 1080p ( improved from 720p)
Back Camera: 8mp (improved from 5mp)
4G: Qualcomm M9625 ( Increased Speeds upto 150mbps & more globally applicable LTE chipset)
Wifi:Broadcom BCM4335 ( Wifi 5G )
Operating System: iOS 7
Battery Life Around 13-14 hours

This is not a wishlist. It's the mostly likely specifications, depending on the availabililty and logic of the launch date

[ChristianJapan]

Originally Posted by daywiz

... and logic of the launch date

Why 6 month later with more memory ? What the logic behind ?

[kodeman53]

Another 'Here's what the next iPad will be' thread. You can never have too many of them.

[MacRumorUser]

Originally Posted by daywiz

Compare the specifications below, and give your take on what's the most likely to come on the iPad 5, depending on the launch date

Mar-Apr Launch

Looks: iPad Mini Looks & Thinner Bezels
Weight Around 550g
Screen Technology: GF2 Screen technology & IGZO ( with supply issues)
Processor: New updated A6X processor - maybe called A7 with clocked speed around 1.6-1.8 Ghz ( 28nm Soc, shifted from 32nm Soc)
RAM 1GB
Graphics: PowerVR SGX554MP4 ( same as ipad 4)
Front Camera: 1080p ( improved from 720p)
Back Camera: 8mp (improved from 5mp)
4G: Qualcomm M9615 ( improved from previously used M 9600 - for increased global LTE usage / coverage but little performance improvements - upto 100Mbps)
Wifi Broadcom BCM4334 (most likely same as ipad 4 as iPhone is more likely to get new wifi innovations first)
Operating System: iOS 6
Battery Life Around 12 hours


This is not a wishlist. It's the mostly likely specifications, depending on the availabililty and logic of the launch date

not to poo-poo you, but come on, can we drop this ridiculous notion of a March release, especially based on the specs you give.


Why is it nonsense..

1) Apple are really going to go into mass production of an iPad for March (which would mean it would be in production NOW) with a display technology that isn't readily available. That would make Lots of Sense.

2) CPU you suggest

'Possibly A7'

, Yep Apple are unlikely to be putting these in machines being mass produced in a factory right now, what with them still in test labs and not being ready for production until late Q2.



AS for

This is not a wishlist. It's the mostly likely specifications, depending on the availabililty and logic of the launch date

No it's a wish list. Logic of the launch date hasn't factored into this at all otherwise you would not suggest a chip that isn't ready for mass production or even out of test labs or a display technology which likewise is not presenting enough yields etc.. would be ready for a March release.

[daywiz]

Originally Posted by ChristianJapan

Why 6 month later with more memory ? What the logic behind ?

Apple has known to be stingy with the RAM. However, if there is any remote possibility of an earlier than June launch, i would definitely think, they would stick to specifications very similar to the ipad 4. If you look at the Sept-Oct specifications, it has alot more hardware improvements and memory requirement, thereby making it highly probable that they crank up the ram. Knowing Apple, I don't think they will push in a 2GB.

And for the record, I never said two ipads are launching this year. I said the specifications will be based on when they launch

[Moccasin]

Originally Posted by ChristianJapan

Why 6 month later with more memory ? What the logic behind ?

While in no way agreeing with the original post, I assume that he thought that iOS7 might need more RAM to work well. Given that they'd know that now, I would imagine that in the unlikely event that they release another iPad in the next few months, they would future proof it with higher RAM now if they thought it needed that.

[daywiz]

Originally Posted by kodeman53

Another 'Here's what the next iPad will be' thread. You can never have too many of them.

I didn't authoritatively say this is what its going to be, I said this is technical specifications that is most likely possible, depending on the timeframe of the launch. It should also give an insight, what technical advancements we can possibly see on the ipad ( leaving aside the innovative features).

Nonetheless, its definitely joins a big pile of threads :P

----------

Originally Posted by Moccasin

While in no way agreeing with the original post, I assume that he thought that iOS7 might need more RAM to work well. Given that they'd know that now, I would imagine that in the unlikely event that they release another iPad in the next few months, they would future proof it with higher RAM now if they thought it needed that.

Well..i think there is a confusion stemming from my post. I never said there are two ipad launches anticipated. I said based on when they launch the ipad 5, the specs will be as I mentioned, as the technical advancements only permit as much.

[Abazigal]

I am guessing a new form factor, igzo screen, better speakers, faster processor, improved camera, but battery life still the same because of the smaller space.

Something nice for those looking to get a new ipad around that time, but not quite enough to tempt me to upgrade from my ipad3.

[ChristianJapan]

Originally Posted by daywiz

Well..i think there is a confusion stemming from my post. I never said there are two ipad launches anticipated. I said based on when they launch the ipad 5, the specs will be as I mentioned, as the technical advancements only permit as much.

No confusion on my side; I understood that you mean one iPad with two alternative timelines.
I was just wondering: the main reason why Apple increased the memory for the retina iPad was because of more memory needed for four times the pixels.

That's also why the iPad mini again has less memory (if im not wrong). But in your spec was not clear to me why 0.5 GB more memory without different screen. I'm not sure if iOS7 would need so much more memory.

Slight off topic: I prefer March. You know: tradition.

[daywiz]

Originally Posted by MacRumorUser

not to poo-poo you, but come on, can we drop this ridiculous notion of a March release, especially based on the specs you give.

I have never advocated a March launch. I always believed it will come out in the June-Sept timeframe. I just mentioned specifications that can be possible, if it does launch before June.

Originally Posted by MacRumorUser

Why is it nonsense..

1) Apple are really going to go into mass production of an iPad for March (which would mean it would be in production NOW) with a display technology that isn't readily available. That would make Lots of Sense.

2) CPU you suggest , Yep Apple are unlikely to be putting these in machines being mass produced in a factory right now, what with them still in test labs and not being ready for production until late Q2.

AS for

No it's a wish list. Logic of the launch date hasn't factored into this at all otherwise you would not suggest a chip that isn't ready for mass production or even out of test labs or a display technology which likewise is not presenting enough yields etc.. would be ready for a March release.

Mar-April isn't nonsense, they can still launch it in April end and make it available from mid to late May. Its just that there wouldn't be a great deal of improvement except the look and weight, and minor incremental hardware upgrade.

1) The display technology is ready but the only issue has been yields. Agreed Sharp has yield issues, but that can be sorted out with multiple suppliers. If you have read carefully, you would have noticed I had mentioned supply constraints next to display tech The iPad mini for example is still facing yield issues, but its in production...so that means, if there is a requirement Apple will go ahead.

2) Apple has two ways to go: Either they can call the new 28nm based A6X, as an A7, or they can launch the supposed 20nm SoC as A7. If they go with 20nm, they would definitely have to wait till Sep-Oct launch, as mass production with substantial yield is only expected then. The 28nm version would only indicate a minor improvement over the present one. and like I mentioned, if they do want to launch before June, this seems the only likely option to go with.

3) As for the logic. I based all the hardware specs based on the availability. The 28nm SoC is very much out of the labs, and just requires manufacturing to start. If its 20nm, then yes, we have to wait till at least Sept-Oct. Next, there is substantial increase in the yield of the IGZO tech, but the problem is that if they launch in Mar, they are going to face constraints, similar to the 27inch iMac, but if there is a need, they can do it.

And finally, you haven't gone through the full post, and seen how I have made clear distinctions on the hardware specifications, based on the timeframe of the launch,

[maflynn]

The apr-may launch window doesn't make sense at this point, I'd say the fall is the time to watch for the new iPad.

Apple will be busy prepping the new iPhone during that time frame.

[daywiz]

Originally Posted by ChristianJapan

No confusion on my side; I understood that you mean one iPad with two alternative timelines.
I was just wondering: the main reason why Apple increased the memory for the retina iPad was because of more memory needed for four times the pixels.

That's also why the iPad mini again has less memory (if im not wrong). But in your spec was not clear to me why 0.5 GB more memory without different screen. I'm not sure if iOS7 would need so much more memory.

Slight off topic: I prefer March. You know: tradition.

The ipad is starting to get more and more powerful, and with the jump to a possible quadcore, and more powerful apps, the memory might be necessary.
The jump to 1.5GB, would be in line to making the iPad march right ahead, but they would only do it, if the ipad 5 was coming in Sept, as the march-april would mean they have very less hardware upgrades and requirements.

Although I would prefer March myself, I believe its only coming in Q3. So wait we must Besides, my jump would be from iPad 2 to iPad 5...so I rather get a host of upgrades

[smoking monkey]

Originally Posted by daywiz

The jump to 1.5GB, would be in line to making the iPad march right ahead, but they would only do it, if the ipad 5 was coming in Sept, as the march-april would mean they have very less hardware upgrades and requirements.

1.5 GB or Ram???

I'm no computer expert, far from it, but I've never heard of a single 1.5GB ram card.

Sure you could put in 1 x 1gig + 1 x 512meg card to get to that, but in such a small space they wouldn't do that.

It's 1 or 2. In fact, is there any mobile device anywhere in the tech world with fractional amounts of ram in them over 1 gig in size?

[WilliamLondon]

Originally Posted by daywiz

I have never advocated a March launch. I always believed it will come out in the June-Sept timeframe. I just mentioned specifications that can be possible, if it does launch before June.

We really need to stop all these "if" scenarios regarding a March release, unless some solid rumour or evidence comes along disputing the (recent) rumours that there will be no March release and the next release will be in the Autumn.

Instead assume no March release and let's start talking about what that would mean to the whole iPad family released in the Autumn (without any "what if March" baggage).

Originally Posted by daywiz

The ipad is starting to get more and more powerful, and with the jump to a possible quadcore, and more powerful apps, the memory might be necessary.

Even if the tech exists to make dramatic CPU jumps, my understanding is that current apps really don't need them so much and in order to take advantage of a much faster CPU the apps would need to be rewritten (or written anew). My question is, what will that do for the legacy iOS devices? Will those apps be able to run (in a less functional mode perhaps) and if so, is that very Apple-like? Alternatively, would they just cut off certain iOS devices from running certain apps, and again that doesn't seem very Apple-like to me. This seems like it would hugely fragment things - I'm wondering how it might be handled or whether it's not really possible to handle eloquently?

[Eadfrith]

They all need GPS as standard - especially the mini

[daywiz]

Originally Posted by smoking monkey

1.5 GB or Ram???

I'm no computer expert, far from it, but I've never heard of a single 1.5GB ram card.

Sure you could put in 1 x 1gig + 1 x 512meg card to get to that, but in such a small space they wouldn't do that.

It's 1 or 2. In fact, is there any mobile device anywhere in the tech world with fractional amounts of ram in them over 1 gig in size?

You are right, i think they will stick to 1 GB. Although I dunno if its a rumour or not that the new 5-inch HTC DLX is coming with 1.5GB.

here's the link: http://htcsource.com/2012/09/exclusi...ernal-storage/

[tann]

They will either stick with 1GB ram or move to 2GB.

My money is on 1GB this year (since they are changing so much else) and iOS 7 later this year then 2GB in 2014 with iOS 8.

[adildacoolset]

Originally Posted by daywiz

Compare the specifications below, and give your take on what's the most likely to come on the iPad 5.

If the launch happens on:
Mar-Apr Launch

Looks: iPad Mini Looks & Thinner Bezels
Weight Around 550g
Screen Technology: GF2 Screen technology & IGZO ( with supply issues)
Processor: New updated A6X processor - maybe called A7 with clocked speed around 1.6-1.8 Ghz ( 28nm Soc, shifted from 32nm Soc)
RAM 1GB
Graphics: PowerVR SGX554MP4 ( same as ipad 4)
Front Camera: 1080p ( improved from 720p)
Back Camera: 8mp (improved from 5mp)
4G: Qualcomm M9615 ( improved from previously used M 9600 - for increased global LTE usage / coverage but little performance improvements - upto 100Mbps)
Wifi Broadcom BCM4334 (most likely same as ipad 4 as iPhone is more likely to get new wifi innovations first)
Operating System: iOS 6
Battery Life Around 12 hours


Sept - Oct
If the launch is on this time frame, the specs are likely to be quite different

Looks: iPad Mini Looks & Thinner Bezels
Weight Around 525-550g
Screen Technology: GF2 Screen technology & IGZO ( with less supply issues)
Processor: Possibly A all new A7X processor with clocked speed around 1.8-2.0 Ghz ( based on a 20nm SoC compared to 32nm SoC)
RAM: 1.5GB
Graphics: PowerVR SGX6400 or super high performance G6630( up from Series 5 on ipad 4)
Front Camera: 1080p ( improved from 720p)
Back Camera: 8mp (improved from 5mp)
4G: Qualcomm M9625 ( Increased Speeds upto 150mbps & more globally applicable LTE chipset)
Wifi:Broadcom BCM4335 ( Wifi 5G )
Operating System: iOS 7
Battery Life Around 13-14 hours

This is not a wishlist. It's the mostly likely specifications, depending on the availabililty and logic of the launch date

I hope the A7X chip has a big.LITTLE configuration. I think that it can achieve nearly an all day battery life

[Skygunner27]

I would laugh so hard if they came out with a iPad 5 in March.....but not for very long. I own an iPad 4.

[Technarchy]

I have no idea what the specs will be but I probably be sitting out this round of upgrades.

I'm more interested in a Gen2 iPad Mini than Gen5 iPad.

[iThinkergoiMac]

Originally Posted by daywiz

Knowing Apple, I don't think they will push in a 2GB.

Knowing Apple, I EXPECT they will push it to 2 GB. Historically, Apple has doubled the available RAM in both iPhone and iPad models when they decide to increase it. They've also done this with Macs when possible. I don't think Apple has EVER released a product with 1.5 GB RAM, unless that was the max it could take due to hardware restraints.

Apple has always focused on dual-channel performance benefits. Does anyone know if those are present on the iPad? I honestly have no idea.

[smileyface]

I don't think we will see a more powerful ipad.They will keep the improvements to form factor only.Its only logical.

The ipad4 is already the leader of the pack in terms of performance and really,unless you play the most demanding games you wouldn't spot the difference between a gen3 or gen4 ipad anyway.So any further processing power improvement in the ipad5 won't mean it's going to be substantially faster than the ipad4 unless they start releasing more demanding high end games.

What WILL tempt current ipad owners to trade up will be a significantly thinner and lighter ipad,not a fractionally faster ipad that you probably won't notice anyway.

If I were Apple,that would be my line of thinking.

[Mrg02d]

I doubt apple will increase hardware specs unless there is a new feature that needs it...IPad 4 is twice as fast as iPad 3 on paper, but only marginally faster in real life..

[slwiser]

My opinion is that incremental improvements will become the standard with six month launches. This will be required to keep the competition at bay. Keeping the launch at a 12 month interval would give the competition to much of a window for PR purposes.

People will get used to the incremental improvement schema quickly after a few times when it becomes the new norm and will forget anything else.

[Abazigal]

To me, the ipad doesn't have a hardware issue.

It's battery life is already more than enough to last me through a day's abuse. Sure, I don't mind it being lighter and thinner, but my arms are certainly not complaining (this is coming from a teacher who walks around class all day with an ipad in hand). Nor am I experiencing memory issues, though I wouldn't mind a faster processor - goodreader can lag pretty bad at times on my ipad3.

Most developers are probably still programming for the A5 chip (which the ipad2, ipad3, iphone4s and ipad mini use), so I doubt you will find many apps that take full advantage of a faster processor anyways (just not lucrative to market only to iphone5/ipad4 owners). The iPad-mini's popularity shows that you don't have to cram a device with every new feature out there. It's ultimately the user experience that counts.

What I feel Apple needs is a fresh-looking IOS to make people feel like they are getting a new experience on their IOS devices.