Apple rumored to hold "small event" in March to usher in new iPad

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
Apple may be planning a smaller than usual event to introduce its second-generation iPad as early as next month, according to a scant report, as rumors that the new device will include NFC technology persist.



In a two-line report published early Saturday by macotakara.jp -- a blog that sometimes generates accurate leads regarding Apple's future product plans -- it's claimed that the Cupertino-based company "seems to open a small event to introduce next generation of iPad."



Such an event appears to be on track for March, the report added. Still, it cautioned that the device may only see an announcement during that time frame in the United States, with shipments and international availability possibly following at a later date.



Meanwhile, a related report filed Friday by iLounge appears to reinforce earlier rumors that the new iPad -- and likely the fifth-generation iPhone -- will include near-field communication technology, giving users the ability to have their device serve as an electronic wallet for quick wireless transactions.



More specifically, the report claims that Apple is actively developing new accessories that will communicate with the NFC radio chips inside the future iOS devices. For example, "an accessory could announce its presence and potential functions to an iPad or iPhone without the need for a Bluetooth or similar connection," the report adds. The source of the tip further suggests "that an otherwise simple case could include a radio chip so that an inserted iPhone or iPad could go into power-saving hibernation mode automatically."



Accompanying that same report were a scattering of other rumors surrounding the iPad that the author was far less confident of, including the possibility that Apple will switch to carbon fiber enclosures to cut back on the weight of the device, and possibly introduce a smaller 7-inch model sometime in the future.



A photo showing what could be Apple's second-gen iPad display bezel.



Of all the rumors, the inclusion of NFC capabilities in the second-gen iPad appears most likely, especially given AppleInsider's discovery last month that Apple was seeking hardware engineers familiar with radio-frequency identification (RFID) and an external report that claimed the electronics maker is actively testing NFC-enabled iPhone prototypes using hardware from NXP Semiconductor.



For more on Apple's second-gen iPad, please see AppleInsider's iPad information archive.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 98
    Xoom, we hardly knew ye.....
  • Reply 2 of 98
    kibitzerkibitzer Posts: 1,114member
    A thought about form factor and NFC. An iPhone or iPod Touch is a more convenient size to be carrying around when shopping. Not to rule out iPad 2, but let's be practical here.
  • Reply 3 of 98
    I guess this means that cash and credit cards will be dead once you get to replace them with your pound and a half 10 inch big ipad to make payments!! It couldn't be more convenient!
  • Reply 4 of 98
    Bring on any new devices from Apple! Oh yeah, and the new iOS version.
  • Reply 5 of 98
    Define small.



    Yes it is possible that Apple will hold an on campus local media event that is live streamed on their site. But that doesn't make the event anything to ignore, or give hint to some notion (as other sites are suggesting) that the upgrades will be puny. It is a way to save money and control leaks about the event date. Plus spring is a big time for large meetings and such and Apple might not want to deal with the hassle of booking an outside venue with tight schedules etc. It certainly wouldn't look good if it was leaked that Apple 'bullied' their way into access to wherever, pushing off another group, when they have another option in their own yard.
  • Reply 6 of 98
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Kibitzer View Post


    A thought about form factor and NFC. An iPhone or iPod Touch is a more convenient size to be carrying around when shopping. Not to rule out iPad 2, but let's be practical here.



    Apple is great at pushing technology in directions not necessarily where you think it should go. I wouldn't be surprised if they used near field comm as a way of connecting devices, perhaps for purposes other than shopping.



    It's one of the things that really sets Apple apart from lots of companies - the ability to think outside of the box and have the wherewithal to market the tech to force broad implementation.
  • Reply 7 of 98
    poochpooch Posts: 768member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    [...] especially given AppleInsider's discovery last month [...]



    appleinsider "discovers" things like my european ancestors "discovered" america.
  • Reply 8 of 98
    Small event for a small revision. The resolution needs to be increased to get our interest, especially my Kindle loving wife. Text is hard to read next to the iPhone 4.
  • Reply 9 of 98
    All of this sounds reasonable, though I do wonder what accessories Apple could make that they wouldn?t leave to 3rd-parties with an included NFC API and framework.



    PS: Does the Samsung Nexus S, which was released with NFC, actually have any decent software to make it useful or is just something pointless which allows Android users to brag?
  • Reply 10 of 98
    Apple holds an event every March/April for a developer preview of iOS. Last year (iOS 4) it was held in April but the 2 previous years it was in March. Maybe the iPad will be "One More Thing..."
  • Reply 11 of 98
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Logisticaldron View Post


    All of this sounds reasonable, though I do wonder what accessories Apple could make that they wouldn?t leave to 3rd-parties with an included NFC API and framework.



    PS: Does the Samsung Nexus S, which was released with NFC, actually have any decent software to make it useful or is just something pointless to which Android users can brag?



    Pointless to which Android users can brag.
  • Reply 12 of 98
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Kibitzer View Post


    A thought about form factor and NFC. An iPhone or iPod Touch is a more convenient size to be carrying around when shopping. Not to rule out iPad 2, but let's be practical here.



    The iPhone is the checkbook, the iPad is the cash register. We need BOTH sides of the equation to have NFC.
  • Reply 13 of 98
    The iPad is Apple's new money making baby and holding a "small event" for it just doesn't make sense.
  • Reply 14 of 98
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleZilla View Post


    Small event for a small revision. The resolution needs to be increased to get our interest, especially my Kindle loving wife. Text is hard to read next to the iPhone 4.



    your request will be fulfilled with a non-glaring screen in iPad2!
  • Reply 15 of 98
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    The iPhone is the checkbook, the iPad is the cash register. We need BOTH sides of the equation to have NFC.



    This could be a classic Apple move with them providing an entire payments ecosystem in one stroke. The iPad could be the core of a great point of sale system. I just wonder if Apple has a plan for cutting down on transaction fees as well. I've no love for banks and would switch to some kind of virtual Apple card in a flash. Yes I know iTunes is connected to my credit card now, but I see that as an unnecessary step.



    It's time for a new consumer payment paradigm and it's been a year since Apple last revolutionized a business model (tablet computing).
  • Reply 16 of 98
    pmzpmz Posts: 3,433member
    This rumor season has sucked big time.



    I'm ready for some actual Apple news.
  • Reply 17 of 98
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Kibitzer View Post


    A thought about form factor and NFC. An iPhone or iPod Touch is a more convenient size to be carrying around when shopping. Not to rule out iPad 2, but let's be practical here.



    The iPhone is the wallet/cc replacement... The iPad is the Cash Register/POST (Point Of Sale Terminal) replacement.
  • Reply 18 of 98
    If you're going to publish rumors from another site, translate it correctly....



    It says that the event is likely to be held by the end of this month (February) and that it will go on sale in March.

    It also gives a reason why explaining the Chinese New Year has delayed production...



    But we all knew that as Apple fans didn't we
  • Reply 19 of 98
    retrogustoretrogusto Posts: 1,109member
    I heard via a friend of a friend who worked at Apple years ago that they had been experimenting with carbon fiber laptop bodies to replace the titanium they were using at the time, but I think he said there was an issue with it interfering with the radio signal (wifi, at the time). Can anybody with expertise in this area confirm or deny this is likely to be true? If not, it seems odd that nobody has already been using it (to my knowledge), since it is so strong and light and resistant to scratches and fingerprints.
  • Reply 20 of 98
    Of course it'll be a small event. I can already tell you what the iPad 2 will bring. Go ahead and bookmark this, as I guarantee most of these are right-on:



    -It'll be a little lighter and thinner.

    -Exact same resolution screen.

    -Dual core processor.

    -512MB of RAM instead of 256MB.

    -Minor iOS update.

    -Front facing camera (possibly rear one too).



    Like most Apple product updates, the iPad 2's biggest improvement, the camera, will just be something its predecessor should've had in the first place.
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