The iPad 2 thickness reduction was a surprise to many at the iPad 2 event last year, with the reduction being from 13.4 millimeters to 8.8 millimeters. http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/backstage/comments/hope-to-see-the-next-ipad-at-ces-you-might-without-knowing-it/ claims to have handled an iPad 3 prototype, providing the media some insight on what to expect from Apple for the iPad 3.

iPad 3 Thickness

The iPad 3 is supposed to be a little thicker than the iPad 2, but only 1 mm thicker or so. This would bring the overall thickness of the iPad 3 to nearly 10mm, as compared to the original iPad at 13.4 mm. Making it thinner and lighter with a more power hungry retina display iPad and 4G antenna is probably not possible.

4G iPad 3 Support (Verizon, AT&T)

The iPad 3 is expected to include a Verizon LTE antenna, bringing download speeds of upto 10 times that of the 3G iPad. 4G LTE coverage has arrived to many cities, leading many to believe that Apple will finally bring 4G to their devices. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 included 4G LTE support back in July and many Android smartphones have already been upgraded to the 4G system.

A6 Processor For iPad 3

Apple is expected to keep the iPad 2 in their lineup, possibly at a reduced price to compete with the Kindle Fire. The new iPad 3 will likely receive an upgrade to the Apple A6 processor. The A6 processor is rumored to be a quad-core chip to give the iPad 3 a power boost to support enhanced graphics for faster gaming/apps.

iPad 3 Jailbreak

Hopefully, the Apple A6 quad-core processor will leave the jailbreak community a little wiggle room for access to an exploit to easily jailbreak A6-powered devices. Currently, the A4 powered iPhone 4 and 1st generation iPad have an exploit for easy jailbreak access for a tethered jailbreak to Cydia. The iPhone 4S and iPad 2 have been difficult to jailbreak, due to the A5 processor.

Front Facing Camera for iPad 3

This camera will likely be upgrade to an HD camera in the iPad 3, to improve video chatting through Facetime and other methods. Personally, I use the front-facing iPad 2 camera more than the back-facing one, and I really don’t think the rear camera is really necessary.

iPad 2 Will Stay To Compete With Kindle Fire

After 40 million or so iPad 2′s being produced, Foxconn and company have gotten pretty good at it. Apple is expected to drop the price down for the base-model iPad 2 to $299, since the original iPad was ditched when the new iPad 2 arrived.

iPad 3 Battery Life

Many are expecting that Apple will take full advantage of increasing the thickness of the iPad 3 by enlarging the battery. A retina display and 4G connection may result in the same 10 hour battery life with a larger battery footprint, I would be surprised if Apple managed to get more battery life with the A6 dual-core processor, retina display and 4G connectivity.

Smaller 7-inch iPad

There may be a market between the iPad at 9.7 inches and the iPhone at 3.5 inches. A study found that women prefer a 7 inch tablet over a 10-inch tablet, which may direct Apple to fill the market with an iPad Mini. This is definitely a possibility, but I don’t think Apple could keep the lid down this tight with the smaller touchscreen requirements.

iPad 3 Arrival Date

March 2010 and March 2011 were big for the iPad and iPad 2, respectively. Many (including myself) are expecting the next iPad to arrive in the next 4-6 weeks, be sure to follow us here at iPadJailbreak.com for the latest rumors, Apple event information, and dates for the iPad 3.

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