Our mate's sister's parrot's girlfriend exclusively reveals iPad 2 features
Never let it be said that Mobile Industry Review isn’t keeping up with the Joneses. Oh no. Whilst everyone and their dog has begun trotting out the inevitable ‘may’ and ‘might’ stories, I’ve been staring on with derision. I’ve been hearing lots of whispers about the iPad 2 — but the reason they’re whispers is because, frankly, the people who KNOW are zipped up to here with Apple contracts prohibiting even the hint of a mention of a hint.
So I thought I’d go one better than the sites out there and bring you some wholly accurate assumption, riddled with comprehensive speculation, along with a healthy dose of opinion.
😉
Here’s what I’d like to see for iPad 2…
Retina Display
The rest of the marketplace reckons we’ll see Retina. Good. About time. As long as Apple can get the technology working on the larger resolution, this will be a much needed addition. Using an iPhone 4 and then swapping to the block iPad screen is simply annoying. It was annoying with then iPhone 4 arrived, it’s still really annoying today.
Weight
The iPad is actually very heavy. I’d like to see it lightened up a little.
Do something about the Sun
This is a big ask — and we could probably do with a Job (pun!) lot of reality distortion on this point. I’d like to see an iPad that works properly in the sun. I’m not talking about the screen really, I’m talking about the heat. Use an iPad for more than 5 minutes in the sun (as you would a paperback on the beach) and you could cook eggs on it. If you’re lucky, you’ll have witnessed the over heat message. Not good. I’m told the Kindle is fine in the sun…
Camera
Apple looked utterly stupid when the launched the iPad without a sodding camera only for Samsung to come along and put two on the device. It was a stupid decision, Apple. I feel cheated. I don’t feel like you’ve made my life any better, especially when the only way to get photos IN to an iPad is to buy a stupid camera connection ‘kit’ (i.e. £0.49 adapter, retailing for crazy money). That made me feel silly to own an iPad. So stick a few cameras in the next lot.
Different sizes
The Steve Jobs ‘we’ve done our research on the size thing’ doesn’t wash either. I’d like to see a 7″ iPad. I just would. It would be a heck of a lot more convenient in the pocket. But I can see the strategic reasons for wishing to avoid canibalising iPhone/iPod Touch — and for a whole host of other standardised viewpoints.
Faster
I don’t really need the iPad to be that much faster … I’d just like it to be a bit snappier. Upgrade the chip and RAM or whatever it takes to avoid the in-and-out animations when you’re running apps. I’d like it to be a bit faster.
What else?
Oh yeah, FaceTime on the iPad will be pretty cool. Although I wonder if it’s just a bit too heavy? Video conferencing on the Samsung Galaxy Tab is doable but holding the iPad for a length of time might get a bit too annoying.
I don’t think I need USB on the iPad. I’m quite happy without it. Although I suppose it might just make the iPad work with every other piece of kit a lot easier — and it would stave off the one massive benefit every other manufacturer can wave about (“Yes, of course, our devices — unlike the iPad — are totally open so you can mount the disks etc…”)
Mounting the iPad might be nice. So I could use it as a USB stick. But really, DropBox and ZumoDrive works nicely for me.
What would you like to see on the next generation iPad?
