Digg founder Kevin Rose blogged this week that Apple will announce the iPad 2 in the next 3 or 4 weeks -- maybe even Feb. 1.
Social news aggregation pioneer Rose, who has his information "on good authority," says the second edition of Apple’s tablet will boast back and front cameras, plus an even better display (initially he wrote of a retina display, but amended his post to add that another source said the display will have a higher dpi but won’t technically be a retina display."
Rose warned: "If you're thinking of buying an iPad, hold off for now." (His blog post is actually based on his new paid monthly newsletter called Foundation.)
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While many have expected the iPad 2 to feature two cameras in order to exploit Apple’s Facetime video chat technology, Apple watcher
Joe White of the AppAdvice website says it will be challenging for Apple to boost the iPad’s already stellar resolution without increasing the 9.7-inch screen size.
Network World blogger Yoni Heisler has also been tracking iPad 2 feature rumors, noting the latest speculation about everything from a smaller bezel to wide-range speakers. Some say the iPad 2 will be powered by a dual-core processor.
Buzz around an impending iPad 2 launch was fueled this past week at the CES 2011 conference in Las Vegas by the appearance of what was reported to be an iPad 2 shell and an iPad 2 case with a hole in the back, presumably for a camera to peek through.
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Rose’s estimate for the iPad 2’s launch on Feb. 1, if accurate, would come the week following the Macworld Expo in San Francisco, which Apple is not attending. The first version of the Apple tablet debuted in April, and the company sold more than a million of them in the first month.
Industry watchers see no end to Apple’s tablet domination anytime soon, even in the enterprise. Forrester analyst Ted Schadler says Apple has infiltrated the enterprise by way of enthusiastic consumers taking their devices to work and spreading the word. Some estimates have Apple selling as many as 28 million iPads by the end of this year.
The iPad rumors should really pick up, if as expected, Verizon next week reveals its iPhone plans, since so much Apple gossiping energy has been spent on that in recent months. Verizon this week issued an invitation to a mysterious event in New York City on Feb. 3.
Of course, speculation about the next iPhone itself, maybe the iPhone 5, will also keep Apple in the headlines. Industry watchers have been figuring on a spring or summer unveiling for the latest and greatest smartphone.
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