iPad 3 to Gain Improved Cameras? iPad 2 to Carry On at Lower Price?

[MacRumors]

iLounge offers a new series of notes sharing information from a source about Apple's plans for the iPad 3. Among the most interesting notes is the claim that the next-generation iPad will carry significantly improved cameras on the front and back, moving to a FaceTime HD camera on the front and a higher-resolution iPhone-like camera on the rear.

The source also reiterates iLounge's earlier claim that the next-generation iPad will be slightly thicker than the iPad 2 while retaining the same general form factor.

1) A few next-gen iPad notes, ahead of the show. Both cameras are getting upgrades. Front goes HD, rear becomes iPhone 4/4S-like (bigger).

2) Body of the next iPad is, as we previously reported, getting just a little thicker to accommodate new parts - little = 1mm give or take.

3) Curve radiuses on the body will change only a little to accommodate the added thickness, not dramatically. Think iPad 2 Pro, not a redesign.

iLounge's source also follows some other current lines of thinking in reporting that Apple will continue to offer the iPad 2 alongside the iPad 3, dropping the price of the current model in order to tackle increasing competition from lower-priced competitors such as Amazon's Kindle Fire. Horwitz offers a $399 base price for the iPad 2 as a possibility, although that number appears to be pure speculation.

Finally, the iPad 3 is said to be in line for another March release, similar to that seen with the iPad 2 last year.

Article Link: iPad 3 to Gain Improved Cameras? iPad 2 to Carry On at Lower Price?

 

[lord patton]

Horwitz offers a $399 base price for the iPad 2 as a possibility, although that number appears to be pure speculation.

Yeah, but pretty safe speculation. Do think Apple could/would price it lower than $399?

 

[ILikeTurtles]

I call BS on this one.

 

[d0mth0ma5]

Yeah, but pretty safe speculation. Do think Apple could/would price it lower?

Yeah, fairly easily. Either by dropping their margin or (more likely) having reduced the cost of the components. These predictions are very safe, i'd imagine all of the above with maybe a bonus.

 

[azentropy]

Not sure if they will go as high as 8MP for the back camera, but I think we all are expecting improvements in both the front and back cameras. They are mediocre at best right now.

 

[firestarter]

Improved cameras.

Shouldn't this be filed under 'obvious'?

 

[smulji]

Not sure if they will go as high as 8MP for the back camera, but I think we all are expecting improvements in both the front and back cameras. They are mediocre at best right now.

The article did say the camera would be iPhone 4/4S capable so if true, at the very least it will have a 5 Mpixel rear camera.

As a side note, I'm actually more interested in what type of CPU / GPU Apple will use in the iPad 3.

 

[dagamer34]

Yeah, but pretty safe speculation. Do think Apple could/would price it lower?

I think the first design of recent Apple products is always thrown out because the design never has a chance to take into account actual use by millions of people in terms of failure rates of specific components as well as customer feedback. This is a similar reason why the original iPhone design only lasted a year before it was completely replaced by the 3G.

There is probably enough margin to create a lower cost iPad, perhaps an 8-16GB iPad 2 for $399 as the cost of creating the assembly lines have already been paid for and it's a good design.

 

[ChristianVirtual]

Makes sense to me; my stomache tells me that the yield rate for retina display is not yet high enough to ensure sufficient supply to repace iPad2 complete.
In addition to an iPad2 as low end competitor it could also open the door for some price jump upwards for the iPad 3 ... Still get one for sure.

 

[HishamAkhtar]

Yeah, fairly easily. Either by dropping their margin or (more likely) having reduced the cost of the components. These predictions are very safe, i'd imagine all of the above with maybe a bonus.

I think they have to in order to try and kill off the Kindle Fire early

With all of these rumours, is the next iPad rumoured to have ALL of these features or just some? How strong are the retina display claims?

 

[SuprUsrStan]

Dropping it to 399 or even lower would put it in line to compete with the kindle fire and other low end android devices. It'll put the squeeze on the more expensive tablets as well.

 

[Glideslope]

The article did say the camera would be iPhone 4/4S capable so if true, at the very least it will have a 5 Mpixel rear camera.

(R) Same as in the 4S. 8mp- 1080p HD Video.

(F) Hoping not, but expecting same VGA as the 4S.

 

[pubwvj]

Apple should keep carrying and supporting older machines

Apple should keep carrying and supporting older machines. They have already spent the high cost of R&D plus tooling. The unitary manufacturing costs become lower and lower so that in many cases they could offer the old machines as low end starters to get people hooked. ("Psss... kid, wanna try a pinch of iPad?!")

Apple should also be eco-sensitive in that they should support older hardware. The machines last and by keeping them in use it saves resources. Sure, you argue that they're in the business of selling new machines but no, they're in the business of making money. They could continue to make money on the OS upgrades, iTunes, Apps, etc for decades on the older hardware.

 

[dagamer34]

Not sure if they will go as high as 8MP for the back camera, but I think we all are expecting improvements in both the front and back cameras. They are mediocre at best right now.

They would be mediocre for something in 2007. 0.3MP and 0.7MP is downright pathetic. They are so horrible, I just ignore them because they generate so much noise in anything but well-lit environments when used.

 

[coder12]

I call BS on this one.

I call SARCASM in your comment!

 

[Glideslope]

Dropping it to 399 or even lower would put it in line to compete with the kindle fire and other low end android devices. It'll put the squeeze on the more expensive tablets as well.

Don't be surprised at $349.00 16g Wi-Fi iPad 2.

 

[MacOG728893]

I waited for the iPad 2 because the iPad 1 had no camera. Then my father got the iPad 2 when it was released and I was terribly disappointed with the cameras.

Even though the camera upgrade is an obvious, it should finally settle my reason to purchase the upcoming iPad 3.

Can I say stoked?

 

[FSMBP]

I think the first design of recent Apple products is always thrown out because the design never has a chance to take into account actual use by millions of people in terms of failure rates of specific components as well as customer feedback. This is a similar reason why the original iPhone design only lasted a year before it was completely replaced by the 3G.

There is probably enough margin to create a lower cost iPad, perhaps an 8-16GB iPad 2 for $399 as the cost of creating the assembly lines have already been paid for and it's a good design.

I'm pretty sure the catalyst for the iPhone 3G design was that the original iPhone's reception was awful because its aluminum casing.

The original iPhone had a gorgeous design!

 

[naroola]

iPad 3???

Oh come on! Isn't it obvious by now that Apple will follow the same pattern as the iPhone. It wouldn't surprise me if Apple releases the iPad 2S in 2012 and lowers the price of the iPad 2 to compete with the Kindle Fire. iPad 2 will be at $199/$299/$399 price, whereas the iPad 2S will be at the $499/$599/$699 price. iPad 3 probably won't see the light of day until 2013!

 

[lord patton]

There is probably enough margin to create a lower cost iPad, perhaps an 8-16GB iPad 2 for $399 as the cost of creating the assembly lines have already been paid for and it's a good design.

Totally agree. I was actually wondering if they could go below the $399 the post postulates.

In addition to an iPad2 as low end competitor it could also open the door for some price jump upwards for the iPad 3 ... Still get one for sure.

That too is a possibility. iPad 2 wifi variants between $400 and $700. iPad "next gen HD" between $600 and $800.

Apple is the master of price discrimination. They can offer a $500 iPad because so many people are going to get the ones that cost $700 and have higher margins. Maybe they could sell an 8 GB iPad 2 for $350, since it makes people lust for one, but most would buy a more expensive one with more storage.

----------

iPad 2 will be at $199/$299/$399 price

no it won't

 

[iZac]

Knowing Apple, it would be something silly like an 8Gb iPad 2 for $100 less when the iPad 3 starts at 32Gb

 

[scott911]

about eh Fire

I think they have to in order to try and kill off the Kindle Fire early

With all of these rumours, is the next iPad rumoured to have ALL of these features or just some? How strong are the retina display claims?

$399 is still too high to move me from $199 kindle option.

I have one Ipad2 and a pair of kindle fires.

Although I am actually more than impressed with the Kindle's performance, I would have preferred to keep everything on the apple eco-system - but it's not turned out to be that big of a deal. An extra $2 spent re-purchasing a couple angry birds didn't hurt as much as I thought it would.

Also interestingly, when given the choice my kids (the Kindle users) pick the kindly over the ipad they are familiar with EVERY time.

There only reason - screen size - The iPad's way too big, the ipod touch is t0o small, the Kindle (for them & Goldilocks) is just right.

We know the mighty Steve said no to a smaller sized ipad - but I think many, many Kindle buyers are disagreeing with their wallets and are happy with the outcome.

 

[alexlovesmacs]

I believe the iPad should have the bigger 4s like camera on the front, people use it more to FaceTime or use Photo Booth. I just don't find the use to take pictures using the rear camera.

 

[SandboxGeneral]

Better camera's is wholly one thing I have expected to see iPad 3 get.

 

[BC2009]

These rumors seem so random. Honestly, its hard to imagine what great upgrade the iPad is going to get this year other than a Retina Display.

1) Assuming the A6 processor ready, then we should maybe expect a Cortex-A9 quad-core in the iPad 3 with improved graphics (probably obvious)

2) Bumping the resolution for the cameras is obvious, but by how much? Historically Apple has realized that only very strange people use their tablet as a point-and-shoot camera (though I did witness an iPad 2 being used this way at Disneyland in December -- the owner looked very silly snapping a shot of her daughter dancing with Disney princesses using her iPad 2 -- As an aside, I also witnessed a couple with his-and-her iPad 2s walking around the park with the iPads held just below the chests and their eyes on their screens instead of where they were walking -- very silly looking indeed especially with the crowds of people you could easily bump into -- yet some people are trying to use iPads like most would use an iPhone).

3) Apple could easily bump the RAM from 512MB to 1GB, but its kinda hard to tout this because they don't advertise the RAM in the iPad 2. Sure it could be filed under "faster". I know the iPhone 4S has RAM that can transfer data twice as fast as the iPhone 4, so perhaps this will be used at the very least.

What else? What more is Apple going to do with the iPad 3? They could make Siri available on it and exclude the iPad 2. They could add Thunderbolt to it, but if its really "PC free" then how much will this matter and how many have Thunderbolt PC's anyway?

It seems to me that the next iPad could be screaming fast with a beautiful screen and slightly to vastly better cameras. While the Retina Display is a huge deal for reading, I think the next great leap is when they merge the MacBook Air and the iPad into some kind of hybrid device that can run both iOS and Mac OS X. I believe Lenovo is attempting this with a Windows/Android hybrid and I think an OSX/iOS hybrid its something that many Apple users would want.

Personally, I am sitting back and waiting to see what Apple might do to surprise me on this one. Currently the iPad is the clear tablet market leader, but I'd like to see them keep raising the bar especially with Windows 8 on the horizon.