Apple Issues Invitations for iPad 3 Media Event on March 7

[pmau]

Regarding the home button missing:

I think it's just a weird render (i.e. fake image). Look at the dude's thumb, it's glowing from a non-existant light source!

That being said, I would like a smart bezel

I'll buy one anyways. A smart bezel would be fun in a controlled environment. But if you try to carry your iPad it might get impractical.

 

[Twizz91]

Do we really have to wait till wednesday 7 november?

 

[bbeagle]

You can operate your iPad without the home button today. It's a 4-finger gesture. Swipe up to reveal the multi-tasking applications, and swipe down to put them away. Swipe left/right to change applications. Pinch to return to home screen.

(It must be enabled via Settings/General/Multitasking Gestures)

So, Apple can easily do away with it if they want.

 

[nickelt]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

Try landscape with 5 icons in the dock?

I did... The water drops actually hit a lower point on the screen.

Maybe its jailbroken

 

[AlphaVictor87]

2) A model of the iPad 2 will continue to be sold at a reduced price. (Perhaps as low as $349.)

I swear i'd never buy an iPad, but at $349 for a 16GB wifi version, i may just have to swoop in and buy an iPad 2 IF this happens.

 

[superfula]

Final nail in coffin

It's entirely possible the iPad is "upside down".

 

[ECUpirate44]

It's entirely possible the iPad is "upside down".

You're over thinking it!

 

[Hardtimes]

Fair enough, but wheres the home button?

Im gonna go ahead and say it might be in upside down portrait mode.

 

[bullrat]

Sheesh

Hey folks, the reason the finger appears large and the wallpaper droplets placed differently is because this is the new 8-inch Retina iPad.

(Ducking and Running)

Stop throwing things at me...

 

[thekeyring]

It's interesting to see the button/no button debate. If they do remove it, then perhaps when you first boot-up an iPad 3 you'll get shown a gestures video, akin to installing Lion for the first time?

Whatever happens, I'm excited & I'll tune in on the day. Correct me if I'm wrong but 1pm Eastern time is 6pm GMT?

 

[fosking]

Also, I think that finger is the little finger of a lady and not an index finger.

 

[betab]

UnApple

Is it just me or is this image the most unApple invitation image ever? I don't think Steve would have approved this. Showing the product?? No way...

 

[Apple Key]

The home button is the one button that can't be touch. You have to be able to activate it quickly and even if you're wearing gloves.

I don't believe it until I see the rest of the image (the part that was clearly cropped out).

 

[gibbz]

It's entirely possible the iPad is "upside down".

If it's upside down, where is the camera?

 

[bobob]

Regarding the home button missing:

I think it's just a weird render (i.e. fake image). Look at the dude's thumb, it's glowing from a non-existant light source!

That's not a thumb - - look again - - it's a toe!!!

 

[MrSingh]

I'm surprised so many Apple experts are thinking that it's simply in landscape mode. The spacing is not consistent with landscape, and is consistent with portrait mode.

Some detective work (AKA screenshots).

See that cluster of 6 droplets, arcing up to 1, 2 o'clock?

View attachment 326733

You don't even SEE those droplets when you hold it in landscape mode. To get the wallpaper, dock icons, and dock shine just as it is in the invitation, you have to hold it in portrait mode. To be precise, hold it in portrait mode, put 5 apps in your dock, put Maps, Calendar, and Keynote as your 3rd, 4th and 5th apps. And there you go.

View attachment 326735

That would place the Home button (or FaceTime camera) directly under the Maps icon.

I think you are really onto something...and your argument is well-reasoned with clear evidence. Now why would they have tampered with the pic and removed the home-button...

Also the tag-line they chose which always has a deeper meaning: "We have something you really have to SEE. And TOUCH"

See = retina display; no-brainer I think we would all agree.

Touch = we all know iOS devices are touch devices so what's the real meaning here? I think we HAVE to touch it because there is actually no button to press. No more button, means even more touching. So we really have to touch this thing as we have no choice when it comes to certain operations - pressing is no longer possible.

Simples

The home-button on my iPhone4 (my first and only iOS device) is definitely taking a beating and has become a little spongey and not as positive/responsive as it used to be - this is leading to incidences of double-taps not registering or me thinking I have when I haven't. Annoying!

Apple are simply getting rid of a seemingly superfluos button. It's typical Apple so people shouldn't be surprised. It's one less mechanical part = less chance of something going wrong...however the down side is that instead of grabbing say iPhone and almost in one movement getting the screen up (via home-button), you would have to grab, adjust your hand slightly, press power button, re-adjust and then swipe so that would be annoying. I think they would get slated by users if they did this with iPhone.

So having not owned an iPad I wonder if that issue would present the same situation and problems...and I think it wouldn't. As the iPad due to it's design and screen size is a two-handed device, unless it is resting on something stable, at which point it can be used as a one-handed device. Also with a magnetic case, you would have an auto-power on/off anyway so that would be a scenario where the power-button would need to be pressed? Will they include a magnetic case out of the box? I don't think so - lost revenue. The plot thickens...

Ps - This will be my first iPad - took until the 3rd gen for me; it's the retina display which has got me ready to finally bite.

 

[daneoni]

I'm ready. Finally i'll own an iPad.

 

[jwdsail]

It's NOT in landscape mode.
I've just attempted to recreate this shot using my iPad 2 and the bubble cluster (or rain drops, whatever you like..) just above the finger is only visible in portrait mode.
Also, the 3 icons are on the far right edge of the dock (again, identified by the bubble cluster), so this doesn't suggest at all that there's no home button because the shot can be taken without including the home button.

The photo is a mockup, I believe, becuase I just couldn't get the angles right to show the same proportion of icons, bubbles, finger or bezel.

Well, if it is a higher res screen, it stands to reason that Apple probably has added/changed the backgrounds.. Bubble position could mean nothing..

And icon position may have been changed from the default to accommodate a new app or two that will be there? Or just to get the Maps icon (place, san fran), Keynote icon (it's a keynote/announcement), and Calendar icon (7 for, um the 7th) in a image that doesn't give too much away..

Shrug..

 

[Dainin]

I wonder if they are doing a capacitive home button.

Would be very cool if it lights up when your finger is over it.

 

[oHai]

"They would never get rid of the home button."

Replace "home button" with "optical drive" and remember how that went! It's possible. Excited to see next week!

 

[ufwa]

no home button would be interesting but currently there is no way or at least no way I've found to stop/cancel deleting of apps with gestures alone without hitting the home button or hitting the on/off button.

 

[troop231]

Landscape.

Wrong.

HAHA I couldn't help myself.

Lol, awesome!

 

[fabian9]

Please stop posting this and wasting space on every single thread page.

I agree. It was funny the first time around, it's getting lame now.

Same as:
"Safari feels snappier!"

 

[Lukeyy19]

Gyro sensor? Pick it up - device wakes up?

that would be awesome, i would like to see this sort of feature implemented into the Reminders App "Siri, remind me when i grab my phone to make sure i don't forget the papers for todays meeting"

 

[apple.of.my.eye]

Sa-weet!!!! Reading on this thing should be awesome!