Skip the rumors: jump straight to the latest 6 Greatest Improvements and New Features of the iPad 2 article (March 2nd, 2011)!

After the iPhone 5 rumors, a proper iPad 2 rumor list was bound to be posted.

There are some reasonable ideas out there, but none of them have been acknowledge by Apple. Actually, other than the raging rumors on the interwebz, there is not even much reason to believe there will be an iPad successor any time soon.

Anyhow, here are the most prominent and would-be awesome features and specifications an iPad 2 might have.

1. iPad 2 will have Retina Display

This would be the most awesome thing to happen for the iPad 2. The Retina Display (currently used only on the iPhone 4) is a ridiculously sharp because of its tiny tiny pixels. Here’s Apple’s explanation:

By developing pixels a mere 78 micrometers wide, Apple engineers were able to pack four times the number of pixels into the same 3.5-inch (diagonal) screen found on earlier iPhone models. The resulting pixel density of iPhone 4 — 326 pixels per inch — makes text and graphics look smooth and continuous at any size. -Apple.com

2. iPad 2 will have a faster processor

Well, yes, if the next iPad has a Retina Display the processing speed would need to be much higher than it is now. The current Apple A4 1GHz chip would have to be upgraded to at least 1.2 or 1.5GHz to not have everything jitter and suck. Also, a new battery would be swell as well, as more processing means more power usage. Haven’t heard any battery-life rumors yet though..

3. iPad 2 will have rear and front-facing camera

The original iPad doesn’t have any camera, its successor should be getting two! At least, that’s what the rumors would have you believe. Backed by some “evidence” of a Chinese manufacturer (Shenzhen MacTop Electronics), which produces cases for the next generation of iPads, including a (camera) hole in top left corner of the back shell (source: MacRumors.com). Although this doesn’t show any front-facing camera holes, it would be reasonable to believe that the iPad 2 will support FaceTime using a second camera, just like the iPhone 4.

4. iPad 2 will be released February 2011

Wow that’s fast! Just like the release date rumors of the iPhone 5, the iPad 2 is believed to be shipping within no more than 12 months of the initial release.

Why, you ask? Well, looking at the way Apple markets their products, they can release anything, anytime at any price and people will buy it anyway. Hell yeah.

5. iPad 2 will have USB-port and SD card slot

The great absentee: the lack of USB and SD card support is one of the reasons people step away from Apple’s approach on selling expensive, licensed peripherals and buy themselves an alternative.

Personally, I don’t think Apple will succumb to the world’s wish for a standard like USB, but The Internet has spoken and the rumors are raging on!

6. iPad 2 will have a 7-inch display variant

The popularity of the Samsung Galaxy, mainly because of its one-hand-friendly 7-inch display, might be reason for Apple to do the same. Although it’s not very likely, a 7-inch iPad 2 (or iPad Mini?) would be pretty awesome.

By the way, a smaller screen would also mean easier implementation of the Retina Screen…

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