Apple iPad 3 Event Scheduled For March 7th In San Francisco
by Saumitra Bhagwat on February 28, 2012 12:16 PM ESTIt's not like we weren't expecting it, but Apple's now made it official. The event is scheduled for March 7th at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco at 10AM PST.
Apparently, the event is about something they would really like us to see, and touch. If you pay close attention to the image, that is definitely not a 1024x768 pixel display, but instead a super-high resolution Retina display as most us have come to expect. Most estimates currently put the resolution at twice that of the original iPad/iPad 2; or at a ridiculous 2048x1536 pixels. That should put the iPad 3's display at 264ppi, which is still shy of the iPhone 4's 326ppi display, but impressive nonetheless. In comparison, the optional high resolution displays on the current-gen 15" MacBook Pros sport a modest 1680x1050 resolution.
Amongst other things, the new iPad should bring with it upgraded internals such as a faster processor; possibly an upgraded SoC with faster graphics and better front and rear-facing cameras. Since Apple never publicly releases the specifications of its SoCs, it would be unwise to comment on the exact nature of the silicon inside the iPad 3 until we can run benchmarks and draw some inferences about the architecture, process node, performance and power consumption of the new chip. It remains to be seen whether Apple offers Siri on the iPad 3 or if it would remain as an iPhone-exclusive feature. However, it would be fair game to expect iOS 5.1 to launch alongside the new iPad 3.
What is certain however, is that the added lure of the Retina display, amongst other things, should keep Apple comfortably ahead of the competition in terms of absolute revenue and unit sales. We can also expect pre-order systems to crash, and long lines outside Apple stores shortly.
If the date on the calendar is any hint, the wait isn't terribly long now. Keep your credit cards ready.
Source: The Verge
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zorxd - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
I wasn't talking about high DPI, but only high resolutionA 1920x1200 15" mac book would have far less DPI than the upcoming iPad but would make much more sense
amdwilliam1985 - Tuesday, February 28, 2012 - link
It makes perfect sense.iPad brings in more money than Macs(including Macbooks, iMac and etc.)
Mr Alpha - Tuesday, February 28, 2012 - link
Is it just me or is that image missing the home button?tipoo - Tuesday, February 28, 2012 - link
Yep, Gizmodo has a comparison shot of it showing it can't be in landscape either, so it looks like just gesture controls from now on.solipsism - Tuesday, February 28, 2012 - link
That doesn't mean the Home Button is removed. There are a lot more reasons why that isn't the iPad 3 than there are reasons why they would remove the Home Button. But lets say that is the iPad 3 there are plenty of other rational reasons there is no Home Button showing. For instance, edited out for aesthetic reasons or the iPad is turned 180°.tipoo - Tuesday, February 28, 2012 - link
Possible, but Apples invitation images of late have all had major hinting in them, I suspect it isn't something for nothing.tipoo - Tuesday, February 28, 2012 - link
Plus the "and touch"? Sounds like bezel gestures.Paulman - Tuesday, February 28, 2012 - link
...that they really went with a 2048x1536 IPS panel. I didn't even know that was feasible on a mass production scale, and I'd always assumed that even if it was, the cost would be astronomical!I can see why they chose it, though - it's a competitive advantage (high ppi) PLUS it's a simple 2x resolution bump in each axis, so scaling legacy apps can be done automatically.
ViRGE - Tuesday, February 28, 2012 - link
It helps to keep in mind just what "mass production" means to Apple. Mass production is Apple selling 15mil+ units in a single year, at which point a lot of interesting things become possible.tipoo - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
Exactly, and if they also get HiDPI panels for the Macbooks and eventually iMacs from the same place they can leverage some huge economies of sales.