Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Apple : In Depth: iPad 3: 10 things we want to see

Apple : In Depth: iPad 3: 10 things we want to see

In Depth: iPad 3: 10 things we want to see

Posted: 09 Mar 2011 05:54 AM PST

The iPad 2 has only recently been announced, so, naturally, it's only right to start speculating about its successor and what exciting things we'd like Apple to include.

We first ditched no-brainer upgrades: more storage, increased RAM, extra processor clout and a longer battery life.

We then scrubbed our brains clean of bonkers and non-Apple-like ideas, including removing the bezel (since it's handy for holding the device easily), making a 7-inch iPad (which would be sub-optimal for apps) and getting rid of the home button (which would impact accessibility and user experience).

With these things in mind, here's what we want Apple to reveal as part of the iPad 3 experience:

1. Retina display

In reality, the iPad 3 likely won't have a Retina display in terms of the extremely dense ppi enjoyed by the iPhone 4 (326), but will double the number of pixels in each direction. This will take the resolution to 2048-by-1536, with a ppi of over 260. Given that people tend to use tablets at a greater distance from their eyes than smartphones, relatively few users will be able to resolve the pixels on the enhanced display.

iPad 3

UP THE RES: An iPad 3 with a higher resolution will lead to even prettier looking games

2. Less reflective screen

Given Apple's obsession with turning its displays into mirrors, we ultimately think it's pretty unlikely the iPad 3 screen will change a great deal in terms of reflectiveness; however, a less reflective screen would be a great addition - at least as a build-to-order option - and boost the device's use outside and in brightly lit rooms.

3. Thunderbolt integration

Apple's new MacBook Pros now boast a Thunderbolt port, which enables power, video and data connectivity using only a single connector, and at extremely high speeds. It'd be great to see the proprietary Dock connector morph into a Thunderbolt port, although Apple would be reluctant to lose the income it generates from licensing related to the Dock connector.

4. Wireless activation

Steve Jobs talks about the iPad 2 being part of the post-PC world. Ironically, though, all iOS devices are initially reliant on PCs, requiring one for activation. By the time of the iPad 3, Apple should look to divorce its devices from Macs and PCs entirely, ensuring they are genuine standalone devices.

iPad 3

POST PC: The iPad remains too reliant on iTunes and a PC. Apple should address this for the iPad 3

5. Wireless sync and back-up

iOS devices live in a wired world. Despite being mobile devices, they must be connected to a PC or Mac to back-up data or to sync purchases. With the iPad 3, Apple should enable wireless sync of content, but, most importantly, also provide options to back-up to and restore from the cloud.

6. SD card slot

Although Apple offers its Camera Connection Kit for the iPad (a two-part kit, essentially comprising a USB dongle and an SD card reader), it's clear many users want to be able to slide a card directly into their device, to pull photos from it, or to save data to it. As with the previous two points, for the iPad 3 this would assist in the iPad's shift towards becoming a standalone device and de-facto replacement for a PC.

Camera connection kit

SLOT IN: The Camera Connection Kit's fine, but a built-in SD card slot would be handy

7. Stereo speakers

For games, music and video, the iPad's screen is great. A Retina display could improve things further, but the audio experience will remain below par with the iPad's rather poor internal speaker. Adding a second speaker to the iPad 3 for stereo sound would greatly benefit media playback.

8. Near field communication

Apple's reportedly been experimenting with near field communication (NFC) for a while, with rumours suggesting the iPhone 5's big new feature will be a digital wallet. It would also make sense for the iPad 3 to embrace this technology - while relatively few users may want to use an iPad to make payments, plenty of companies could use one to receive them, turning the device into a digital cash register. Other applications for this technology include ticketing and office access.

9. Make 3G standard

This one's a bit of a stretch, but some kind of optional 'always online' functionality could give the iPad 3 a serious boost, and stop people from avoiding purchases because they're afraid of making a mistake regarding choosing between a Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + 3G model.

Apple presumably sees 3G functionality as a hugely profitable 'add on', with parts reportedly costing as little as $30 adding $130 to the price-tag. With much of Apple's competition going 3G-only, Apple could do the same and yet still come in both cheaper and at a higher quality point.

10. An iPad 3 teleporter/toaster/digital unicorn

We don't really want burned-toast functionality, a digital horse with a horn, or a teleporter (actually, scratch that - we'd love a teleporter), but we're pretty sure as the iPad 3 looms into view that people will be hoping for and perhaps even demanding similarly ludicrous features. Instead, boring as though it may sound, we'd sooner Apple continues with its careful, considered incremental upgrades, providing the means to consume and create content in the best possible fashion.

Unless someone at Cupertino really does unravel the secrets of instantaneous long-distance travel, obviously.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)