What I would really like to see in a future iPad revision is...

[The Loafer]

... a larger screen, something along the lines of a 12" or 13" ipad. I realize the issues, some perhaps insurmountable for the time being. I think the biggest limitation of a larger size, and probably one of the deciding factors in how they determined the present 9.7” size, is not just $$$ but one of comfort in holding it. If they were to go to a bigger screen at some point in the future, they would somehow need to find a way to keep the same weight, as I think that’s the key, anything heavier just leads itself to too much discomfort and detracts from the experience.

In the future, we may see a 7" ipad just to cater to that demographic that believes a tablet should be more portable, and although it’s not for me, I can see their point. But I think there's also a demographic that would love more real-estate. Surfing the web would be easier, productivity software would be better, gaming would be better, multiplayer gaming on the same tablet would be better. With the (hopefully true) rumored iPad 3/Pro’s Retina resolution, it would still look quite fantastic with the bump to a couple of inches bigger screen, keeping the same resolution, so it’s not like the entire hardware would need to be redesigned AND the advantage could be increased battery life as well. How’s that not another plus?

Naturally, there’s not a benefit to all apps, but IMHO, the same reason why people prefer a 13” MBA to the 11” MBA, it’s no different with a tablet. Bigger, in the case of a computer, is better.

I’m pretty sure Apple is already looking into this, I’m just hoping this is something that’s coming sooner, rather than later. Call it the pro, charge $200 more and you have me buying it noooo problemo.

 

[number84]

honestly, i don't think this would happen. it'd be way too big. the ~10" size would be maximum size i would think for most if not all tablets. any bigger and it would be a pain to hold and carry around. if anything, we'll see a 7" version, which i would be very interested in for portability.

 

[TheSuperSteve]

I want a 32" iPad. And I want 22.3 inches of that to be of pure bezel.

 

[Night Spring]

honestly, i don't think this would happen. it'd be way too big. the ~10" size would be maximum size i would think for most if not all tablets. any bigger and it would be a pain to hold and carry around. if anything, we'll see a 7" version, which i would be very interested in for portability.

It would be slightly less portable than the current iPad, of course, but not so bad. Think something about the size of a clipboard. If you have a 13 inch MacBook Air, hold it with the lid closed and imagine using it as a tablet. If they could get the weight down a bit more, it won't be undoable. And for some people, the tradeoff between extra screen space for more weight and bulk would be a reasonable compromise. I mean, I look at a 17-inch MacBook Pro and think that if I'm going to get something that big, I'd just buy a desktop, but people buy them, so... Different strokes!

 

[The Loafer]

I really believe it's not the size that's the limitation, but the weight. Technically speaking, bringing that weight down is doable right now, but would probably require Apple to compromise where they will never compromise (durability/quality). However, if some components can be made as durable but weight less... then I don't see why not.

 

[snow blind]

If you have a 13 inch MacBook Air, hold it with the lid closed and imagine using it as a tablet. If they could get the weight down a bit more, it won't be undoable.

This exactly. Id kill for a more powerful 13" iPad"Pro" or something of the like. Give me more power and ability to run iOS & OS X (or some new combo software). We know they have the ability based on the 13" air... take off the keyboard and other non-essentials and keep those guts in a slightly thicker iPad design. As others have said... weight is the main issue I believe.

 

[NutsNGum]

I really doubt anything like this will ever happen.

As soon as there are different screen sizes, there is some degree of fragmentation. Even if the resolution is the same, the user experience will change, the icons for instance, will be larger and less sharp, games will be stretched to some extent, etc.

The thought of the "Pro" version of a product looking worse than the standard one would never fly.

That, and I believe that Apple is likely to be doing its utmost to consolidate all of their existing product lines, therefore any deviation from that pattern is unlikely.

 

[The Loafer]

If they keep the aspect ratio consistent between the standard iPad 1&2 and this mythic "pro" version, there would not be any stretching and the "retina" level of resolution would mitigate any possible loss of quality. The key is that they aren't just boosting the resolution to something we see on a PC, they are far surpassing it.

FYI, they have allowed ipads to run iphone apps and those really look crappy. I think you may be right that this may never happen, but I don't think it will be due to the reasons you outlined. There's plenty of resolution there to ensure your icons will look extremely sharp.

Best example I can use to support this is the MBA 11" vs the 13". The 13" model is higher end, but don't they run the same max resolution? (I could be wrong here, sorry if I am)

edit: bad example, the MBA's have different resolution BUT they didn't keep the same aspect ratio = 16:9 versus 16:10. For what I propose to work, they would need to keep the same aspect ratio.