Report details iPad 2 components, 5 million unit supply
Apple's iPad 2 will feature a better quality display, faster chips, separate CDMA and GSM versions, iPod touch-like dual cameras, and vendors will produce 4.5 to 5 million units in the first quarter, according to a new report from Taiwan.
No Retina Display
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of Concord Securities has prepared a report indicating that iPad 2 won't get higher resolution screen this year, using the same 1024x768 of the original iPad.
"The improvement of iPad 2 display," the report notes, "focuses on thickness and anti-reflection, not resolution. iPad 2 display module is 30~35% thinner than iPad 1 and it?s helpful for better form factor.
"Thanks to anti-reflection, iPad 2 could have better sunlight readable experience and it's helpful for Apple to compete with Amazon's fast growing Kindle business.
"The most important reason why iPad 2 won?t have retinal display is yield rate of panel making. At this point, making high resolution and bright IPS/FFS panel is not easy and the production volume and cost couldn?t meet Apple?s requirements."
Faster, better, stronger
The new iPad model is also said to pack much higher processing power, graphics and more RAM and faster memory access. The greater computing power of the revised iPad "could ensure iPad 2?s competitive advantage for coming tablet war this year," the report notes.
"iPad 2 will use [ARM] Cortex-A9 dual core processor running at 1.2GHz. Increasing 1~2% single core processor clock results in a 3~5% power increase and dual core could get a better balance between computing power and power consumption. That's the reason why Apple will use dual core for iPad 2."
As expected, the report also states "iPad 2 will also have a GPU using Imagination?s SGX543 dual core graphics technology which is 200~300% powerful than iPhone 4."
RAM is also on the rise, the report says. "For making full use of GPU upgrading advantage, iPad 2 needs bigger memory bandwidth. So iPad 2 has 512MB RAM, same as iPhone 4 and twice as much as iPad 1, but running at higher clock 1,066 MHz for getting bigger memory bandwidth (iPhone 4 memory clock is 800 MHz)."
3G and cameras
Rather than being made available in a world-mode version, the report say "iPad 2 adds one new CDMA model and it could bring more market share to Apple. Project IDs of Wi-Fi, GSM and CDMA iPad 2 models are different. GSM iPad will use Infineon chip and CDMA iPad will use Qualcomm chip. More suppliers could reduce the risk of component shortage."
The possibility of an SD Card slot is mentioned, but not confirmed, but the report notes iPad 2 will have two cameras, but with components shared with iPad touch, rather than the higher quality iPhone 4 cameras.
"There are more and more photo and video editing applications for iPad in App Store. The SD slot could let users easily transfer photo and video files made by DSC and DV to iPad and edit them," the report observed, falling short of actually confirming whether a card slot will be present.
"iPad has two cameras. Front camera is 0.3 mega-pixel [VGA, like iPhone 4] and rear one is 1 mega-pixel [like iPod touch, rather than iPhone 4]. Front camera is for Facetime and Photo Booth and 0.3 mega-pixel is enough because the resolution of iPad 2 is 1,024x768. Rear camera is for applications such as video recording and augmented reality."
4.5 to 5 million units in 1Q 2011
The report notes Foxconn will remain the iPad's sole maker, noting that production began this month and will result in "at least 4.5 - 5 million units for Apple in 1Q'11. iPad 2 will likely go to market in late 1Q'11 or early 2Q'11 based on supply chain shipment status."
No Retina Display
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of Concord Securities has prepared a report indicating that iPad 2 won't get higher resolution screen this year, using the same 1024x768 of the original iPad.
"The improvement of iPad 2 display," the report notes, "focuses on thickness and anti-reflection, not resolution. iPad 2 display module is 30~35% thinner than iPad 1 and it?s helpful for better form factor.
"Thanks to anti-reflection, iPad 2 could have better sunlight readable experience and it's helpful for Apple to compete with Amazon's fast growing Kindle business.
"The most important reason why iPad 2 won?t have retinal display is yield rate of panel making. At this point, making high resolution and bright IPS/FFS panel is not easy and the production volume and cost couldn?t meet Apple?s requirements."
Faster, better, stronger
The new iPad model is also said to pack much higher processing power, graphics and more RAM and faster memory access. The greater computing power of the revised iPad "could ensure iPad 2?s competitive advantage for coming tablet war this year," the report notes.
"iPad 2 will use [ARM] Cortex-A9 dual core processor running at 1.2GHz. Increasing 1~2% single core processor clock results in a 3~5% power increase and dual core could get a better balance between computing power and power consumption. That's the reason why Apple will use dual core for iPad 2."
As expected, the report also states "iPad 2 will also have a GPU using Imagination?s SGX543 dual core graphics technology which is 200~300% powerful than iPhone 4."
RAM is also on the rise, the report says. "For making full use of GPU upgrading advantage, iPad 2 needs bigger memory bandwidth. So iPad 2 has 512MB RAM, same as iPhone 4 and twice as much as iPad 1, but running at higher clock 1,066 MHz for getting bigger memory bandwidth (iPhone 4 memory clock is 800 MHz)."
3G and cameras
Rather than being made available in a world-mode version, the report say "iPad 2 adds one new CDMA model and it could bring more market share to Apple. Project IDs of Wi-Fi, GSM and CDMA iPad 2 models are different. GSM iPad will use Infineon chip and CDMA iPad will use Qualcomm chip. More suppliers could reduce the risk of component shortage."
The possibility of an SD Card slot is mentioned, but not confirmed, but the report notes iPad 2 will have two cameras, but with components shared with iPad touch, rather than the higher quality iPhone 4 cameras.
"There are more and more photo and video editing applications for iPad in App Store. The SD slot could let users easily transfer photo and video files made by DSC and DV to iPad and edit them," the report observed, falling short of actually confirming whether a card slot will be present.
"iPad has two cameras. Front camera is 0.3 mega-pixel [VGA, like iPhone 4] and rear one is 1 mega-pixel [like iPod touch, rather than iPhone 4]. Front camera is for Facetime and Photo Booth and 0.3 mega-pixel is enough because the resolution of iPad 2 is 1,024x768. Rear camera is for applications such as video recording and augmented reality."
4.5 to 5 million units in 1Q 2011
The report notes Foxconn will remain the iPad's sole maker, noting that production began this month and will result in "at least 4.5 - 5 million units for Apple in 1Q'11. iPad 2 will likely go to market in late 1Q'11 or early 2Q'11 based on supply chain shipment status."
Comments
Very evolutionary. There's really nothing wrong with iPad 1, the only thing it's really short on right now is RAM. I don't need a camera, although it'd be nice. Don't need it much faster, although again, I wouldn't mind a second less of app starting time. I'd like to see what advantages the new screen brings.
I agree, but would add that less weight could be a plus, as well as non-reflective glass to stymie those annoying adds touting the Kindle's only advantage. I don't expect carbon fiber yet as a weight solution, but there may be other ways to shave a few ounces.
Nothing here is out of line of an evolutionary progression of hardware engineering.
I thought it was a very superfluous device that only the rich would waste their time with.
Boy, was I wrong.
The iPad is similar to a handy netbook, much easier to carry around than my 15" MacBookPro, but still powerful enough to perform many functions that I need. It's a fantastic machine, and I'm so excited that Apple took the risk to create this product.
I would love to get an iPad 2
I agree, but would add that less weight could be a plus, as well as non-reflective glass to stymie those annoying adds touting the Kindle's only advantage. I don't expect carbon fiber yet as a weight solution, but there may be other ways to shave a few ounces.
Agree that less weight would be nice. A little thinner too, with a louder speaker. Everything is very nice now, all the rest is gravy.
I had been waiting for the iPad as my bet was that it would have the same cameras as the iPhone - and would maintain any improvements. That looks pretty dead with these specs. I'll go for the iPhone5 and continue to wait for the iPad to catch up.
I do see the weak camera on the back as a sweet spot for competitors to go after. Hopefully it will improve quickly.
In regards to the camera, I think using the iPod Touch's rear camera is a reasonable concession. Apple probably doesn't think most people will be hefting around the iPad to take multi-megapixel still images, which is probably true. The iPod Touch's camera is good enough for quick 720p video shoots, video conferencing, and shooting bar-codes and such for more business/productivity style usage, which is probably what Apple's aiming for. And augmented reality features which are more video focused than high photo quality.
Very nice. I'll keep my ipad1 and wait for iPad3.
I didn't get an iPad 1 in the end, and I am still really hoping that even if it's not retina, the iPad2 has a higher resolution display than 1024x768. That's really the only thing I want, along with the increased processing power, graphics power and memory requirements to go with it and support more complex apps. This report, if true, is really disappointing.
I didn't get an iPad 1 in the end, and I am still really hoping that even if it's not retina, the iPad2 has a higher resolution display than 1024x768. That's really the only thing I want, along with the increased processing power, graphics power and memory requirements to go with it and support more complex apps. This report, if true, is really disappointing.
Well too bad for apple and those who still on the fence.
I am afraid they reached their tipping point in 2010. With such a minimal upgrade iPad 2 will look inferior to offerings of ever growing competition.
I do believe the iPad is the best browsing experience and having the 3G option blows any other device out of the water as it is. It is just really lacking storage. It would just feel amazing to be able to have all my DVDs inside this one device.
I have an iPod touch and the screen is too small even with the retina display to justify watching a movie on it. It feels unnatural unlike the iPad.
"The improvement of iPad 2 display," the report notes, "focuses on thickness and anti-reflection, not resolution. iPad 2 display module is 30~35% thinner than iPad 1 and it’s helpful for better form factor.
Hopefully that also includes colour accuracy, deeper blacks, whiter whites, improved backlight brightness, and less power usage for a given brightness over the current iPad.
"iPad 2 will use [ARM] Cortex-A9 dual core processor running at 1.2GHz. Increasing 1~2% single core processor clock results in a 3~5% power increase and dual core could get a better balance between computing power and power consumption. That's the reason why Apple will use dual core for iPad 2."
As expected, the report also states "iPad 2 will also have a GPU using Imagination’s SGX543 dual core graphics technology which is 200~300% powerful than iPhone 4."
RAM is also on the rise, the report says. "For making full use of GPU upgrading advantage, iPad 2 needs bigger memory bandwidth. So iPad 2 has 512MB RAM, same as iPhone 4 and twice as much as iPad 1, but running at higher clock 1,066 MHz for getting bigger memory bandwidth (iPhone 4 memory clock is 800 MHz)."
All reasonable expectations.
Rather than being made available in a world-mode version, the report say "iPad 2 adds one new CDMA model and it could bring more market share to Apple. Project IDs of Wi-Fi, GSM and CDMA iPad 2 models are different. GSM iPad will use Infineon chip and CDMA iPad will use Qualcomm chip. More suppliers could reduce the risk of component shortage."
Maybe, but it could also be the chip makers for each technology that best fits their price and/or power efficiency needs.
"iPad has two cameras. Front camera is 0.3 mega-pixel [VGA, like iPhone 4] and rear one is 1 mega-pixel [like iPod touch, rather than iPhone 4]. Front camera is for Facetime and Photo Booth and 0.3 mega-pixel is enough because the resolution of iPad 2 is 1,024x768. Rear camera is for applications such as video recording and augmented reality."
Brace yourselves! The trolls are going to bitch about this one.
I agree, but would add that less weight could be a plus, as well as non-reflective glass to stymie those annoying adds touting the Kindle's only advantage. I don't expect carbon fiber yet as a weight solution, but there may be other ways to shave a few ounces.
I don’t think CF is an option. Besides the poor recyclability of it, I haven’t seen any CF that was as rigid as milled alloys for the thickness Apple uses for their milled chassis in places.
This is the most credible set of rumored specs I've seen so far.
Word!
The 5 million figure seems too low.
Taking the holiday quarter sales, increasing the number by 30% for a new product launch, then average the unit sales per day and dividing by 4.5 and 5 million units tells me that the next iPad will launch 42 to 47 days before the end of the quarter. * Where n equals the number of days before or after the last day of March where Apple’s Q2-2011 officially ends.
1) I did some surfing (including my brokerage accounts news feeds) and cannot find any link to the "original" report: Concord Securities Ming-Chi Kuo
2) these are fairly "vanilla" specs that anyone could put together
3) the 5 million units for the 1st quarter reflects the fact that the 1st quarter is 1/3 gone: 7.5 x 2/3 == 5 million
4) 512 MB RAM seems to be a mismatch with the other hardware specs -- 1 GB would be more inline.
So, there is nothing new here -- just a rehash of bits from many of the stories that have been floating around for the last few weeks.
MEH
Can't wait to see the iPad 2. Being 30% thinner sounds like a winner to me. As far as watching movies... I've made a concsious decision to only watch movies on a large screen. Most likely my own TV as I can't seem to come to grips with America's penchant for eating nachos, sucking down a 44oz soda while watching a movie at the cinema!
You are totally right: Nothing is better than an amazing TV screen and with AirPlay you will get just that. It would still be nice to hold all your movies on this one device.
The cool thing about the iPod was the fact that I didn't have to keep looking for CDs and never forgot them because I could always find them in one place. That is how I feel about the iPad, it is like a well of information that just allows me to carry all my media everywhere, and if there ever is the need to view something on the device because I'm in the middle of an airport or just out and about, it is a viable option superior to the iPod or the iPhone.
I can just see myself going to a friends house with my iPad and asking them if they want to watch anything from the list of films I have as opposed to just taking three or four DVDs with me and running out of options.
http://www.businessinsider.com/chart...eat-the-ipad-3
With such a minimal upgrade iPad 2 will look inferior to offerings of ever growing competition.
Going to a dual-core CPU with a dual-core, desktop-caliber GPU and it's a minimal upgrade? Based on the current specs of the iPad, game developers have created titles that are already console quality. With this bump in processing and graphics power, the other tablets will still miss out when it comes to developers.
What good is a powerful tablet if you have nothing to run on it is what the competition will face. The iPad has grabbed of of the top developers with few of them producing top-tier titles. Once Microsoft brings Office to the iPad, the other tablets are as good as history.