Next-Generation iPad With Tapered Sides and iPod Touch-Like Form Factor?

[Apple...]

You are on MacRumors... I think you might be a troll.

Nah, I'm not. I just want to see it already! Rumors make for good discussion and are fun to read about, but I'm more interested in what Apple has to bring.

You do realize that you undercut your hopes for a front-facing FaceTime camera with your first couple of sentences right? If it's tiring for the arms to take random photos, it's certainly going to be tiresome to hold and steady an iPad to a position that shows your face.

I however do assume Apple will add both front and rear cameras, just to appease the market.

Agreed. I see both a back 5MP facing camera and front VGA (or higher, preferably) facing camera coming to the next iPad.

 

[Prime Mover]

It will be interesting to see what happens at CES. I would think we'll see LOTS of competitors to the iPad. But beyond trying to "out feature" the iPad with hardware differences, it will be interesting to see if anyone does anything really different or unique.

Of course... I hope Apple shows us something unique too.

Of course, Apple's biggest "feature" is not in the device itself, it's their infrastructure. Infrastructure trounces features any day of the week. When it comes to shear device features, Apple is never at the top. The iPod had far less features than the Zune and other competitors. The iPhone has far less features than the Android and Blackberry. The iPad has far less features than Netbooks and will have less features than upcoming tablets (eReaders not included). However, none of these competitors have ever had as robust and diverse infrastructure to back up the systems. iTMS was 10x anything else at the time of its release, the App store was similarly ahead of the game. And since the iPad uses the existing App store, any competitor has to play 3 years of catch up. Will the competition have for functions and features? Definitely. Will they try to use these new features to sell the product? Absolutely. Will these flashy new features really fool anybody into believing that the end experience will be better? Absolutely not.

My only wish, however, is that Apple does more to support hardware accessories and inter-computer communication. Allowing saving to external SD cards would be nice (a dock/SD adaptor would be just fine). They already covered MIDI in the last update, which was one of my biggest wishes.

 

[Lord Bodak]

I really dont think a rear facing camera is workable on an iPad, its just too cumbersome to with one hand to take a picture. Definitely think a front facing camera for FaceTime will come though.

It might be cumbersome for taking snapshots, but since the iPad is starting to get more attention in the business world, there are a ton of applications where a business app could need the ability to take pictures of equipment and things like that.

 

[newdeal]

Yeah, no. They aren't going to add a USB port in a future release. It's really amazing that so many people think the iPad should have one, when there really is no need at all.

same goes for a rear facing camera and also to a slightly lesser extent a front facing camera. I cant see carrying that thing around and snapping pictures and I doubt most people will ever facetime in their lives. Screw making it lighter what it needs to be is faster, with better graphics, more ram and an SD card slot. Sure the ipad now is good enough but if they increase the specs they can release even better software in the future to use the extra horsepower...that will then allow them to make people buy new machines because their old one isnt fast enough to play whatever game is the popular one at the time

 

[srxtr]

*deleted*

 

[faroZ06]

:d

I'd really like an SD Card slot on an iPad since there is more of a focus on sharing photos on it. A USB port would be nice too, but since every camera nowadays seems to use SD cards, I wouldn't miss it if it wasn't there.

Honestly, I just want it to be slimmer and lighter, with a Facetime camera. And cheaper too.

I'd like USB for flash drives, but Apple probably wants you to buy the increased storage iPads for more space. I would also like to attach a printer.

SD card slot would be good for cameras unless you want to use a Sony camera. That company became really...poopy after like 2001. They refuse to use SD and instead use their horrible Memory Stiks. The only Sony I'd buy today would be a TV (or do they suck at making those too now?).

 

[WLS]

It might be cumbersome for taking snapshots, but since the iPad is starting to get more attention in the business world, there are a ton of applications where a business app could need the ability to take pictures of equipment and things like that.

There are also a lot of business environments where cameras are forbidden for security or privacy reasons. You can argue against a camera from that position.
Myself I'd rather not have one since it is going to be a pain to hold and keep clear. Without a flash it is even less useful and I don't see a flash hole in the case.. The iPhone is easier to hold as a camera.

 

[class77]

If the only things that are going to be changed on the new iPad are front and back cameras and moving the speaker to the back, I'll keep the one I've got. I can't imagine anything more unwieldy than trying to use a 10 inch 1 1/2 pound camera....Only three things I care about it speed, higher res screen and more storage

 

[Journojulz]

Note to designers - If you are going to pin a guess on a high res rear facing camera camera (like the iphone) - why not factor in the possibility of a flash (like the iphone)?

 

[WLS]

If the only things that are going to be changed on the new iPad are front and back cameras and moving the speaker to the back, I'll keep the one I've got. I can't imagine anything more unwieldy than trying to use a 10 inch 1 1/2 pound camera....Only three things I care about it speed, higher res screen and more storage

Mostly agree.. I want a speed bump, a better LOOKING screen and thinner with less weight. I think storage will be pretty much the same

 

[Westside guy]

The camera hole in the rear of the cases claimed to be for the next-generation iPad appears to be similar in size to that for the iPhone 4 and larger than that seen with the iPod touch, suggesting that the next-generation iPad could see the higher-resolution rear camera capabilities seen on the iPhone 4.

People are going to look really stupid taking photos with the iPad. It's hard to imagine Apple not having thought that through already.

I'd really like an SD Card slot on an iPad since there is more of a focus on sharing photos on it. A USB port would be nice too, but since every camera nowadays seems to use SD cards, I wouldn't miss it if it wasn't there.

Consumer cameras anyway. Pro cameras are still going with CF (which is why the SD slot in the "Pro" laptop lineup is somewhat baffling). But an SD/MicroSD slot would make sense on a consumer tablet, like the Galaxy Tab offers.

 

[Mr. Chewbacca]

I was hoping for a flat glass back like the iphone!

That would be pretty heavy but kinda cool

 

[WLS]

People are going to look really stupid taking photos with the iPad. It's hard to imagine Apple not having thought that through already.

Well it's not set in stone by any means. We have had case makers before put out samples with camera holes that turned out not to happen. (iPad Touch)
We can only wait and see.

 

[chaosconan]

Wrong direction

I hate Tapered Sides. Just leave it as it and remove the hump!
I think its a big mistake going to a Tapered Sides.

Now, all the third party accessories will have to be remade for iPod 2 to account for the stupid Tapered Sides.

 

[bushido]

Note to designers - If you are going to pin a guess on a high res rear facing camera camera (like the iphone) - why not factor in the possibility of a flash (like the iphone)?

thats what the 3rd iPad generation is for ^^

 

[WLS]

I hate Tapered Sides. Just leave it as it and remove the hump!
I think its a big mistake going to a Tapered Sides.

Now, all the third party accessories will have to be remade for iPod 2 to account for the stupid Tapered Sides.

Well the bags and sleeves will handle that small change with no problem since it is smaller by a bit but yes the skins and hard cases will not transition well.
Happy owner of a Water/Ford ultimate sleeve.

 

[chaosconan]

Better solution

Instead of placing a camera behind the iPad 2 why not just do an iOS update to make a Camera available!

Call it AirCam, AirEye or AirLens.

Basically make iPod touch or iPhone be able to remotely send the video feed from their camera over bluetooth to the iPad.

Simple solution!!!

 

[jayducharme]

I'm not liking the apparent placement of the new speaker. If I sit with the iPad in my lap and the Home button at the bottom, the sound will get completely muffled. It might be more effective with the speaker at the top of the unit. (Although I guess I could hold the iPad upside-down....)

As for the rear camera: it's all about FaceTime and being able to switch from front to back without having to turn the iPad around.

 

[chaosconan]

Speaker Placements

I hear about placement if speakers on the bottom, on the rear corners, but what about just placing them on the sides. Of course with the tapered sides you would have to place them on the rear.

So, if the normal holding position is portrait just place the speakers left and right sides instead of the corners.

Where x, are the speakers.

+----------+
|..........|
|..........|
|..........|
|..........|
|x........x|
|..........|
|..........|
|..........|
|..........|
+----------+

 

[fobfob]

This post interested me:

Yeah, no. They aren't going to add a USB port in a future release. It's really amazing that so many people think the iPad should have one, when there really is no need at all.

And sure enough we find:

I'd like USB for flash drives, but Apple probably wants you to buy the increased storage iPads for more space. I would also like to attach a printer.

So I think when people say they want a "USB port", they really want the port, plus a whole heap of drivers and software behind it to cater for whatever they throw at it. No disrespect to faroZ06, apologies for using your post as an example. The point is, that the iPad doesn't offer a slew of third party supported hardware drivers. Partially that is a marketing decision, but it also a technical reason the iPad is fast and reliable. When you start adding drivers for all sorts of third party equipment, you end up with, well Windows. That's what a fully fledged OS is for.

If Apple put in a USB port, there would be a torrent of complaints that it is useless, or that it doesn't cater for this or that drive, printer, camera etc. Sure, third party developers will use it, but then you'd have an app for each and every possible device, and it would be cumbersome.

As pointed out, the dock connector IS a USB port. In fact, yes, I have a standard sized USB port on my iPad, when I connect my photo dock device. But it's pretty useless except for its stated purpose: to connect to a camera and suck in photos.

However, apart from cost and space concerns, I don't see a real objection to having an SD card reader inbuilt. The addon reader kit is a kludge. It's an ergonomic nightmare and its easy to lose. Very unapple like.

 

[rkdiddy]

Yeah, no. They aren't going to add a USB port in a future release. It's really amazing that so many people think the iPad should have one, when there really is no need at all.

Agreed - nowadays I have more Apple cords laying around than USB/Micro/Mini.

 

[chaosconan]

Yeah, no. They aren't going to add a USB port in a future release. It's really amazing that so many people think the iPad should have one, when there really is no need at all.

I don't believe there will be one either but it would be nice if apple came out with an Apple USB Adapter to suppose USB thumb drives . Something similar to the attached picture.

 

[greygray]

I'll upgrade mine if the iPad 2 has a Retina display. That's all I'm asking for and oh, the front-facing camera too please.

 

[joueboy]

Case! Case! Case!

I was hoping for a flat glass back like the iphone!

Then put a case the covers the entire iPad except for the screen and the camera.

 

[SactoGuy18]

I still want one thing from the 2G iPad: 1280x768 or 1280x960 resolution touchscreen display, so it could display 720p HD video natively and also make text easier to read for the iBook and Kindle e-book reader applications.