As the anticipated announcement of an iPad refresh draws nearer, the tidbits of insider information are seeping out at faster rates.
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Among the latest: a report that the next generation of the Apple iPad features a high-resolution Retina display, powered by a dual-core graphics chip. The high-resolution screen and faster GPU would allows the iPad 2 to play 1080p HD video, according to an AppleInsider report citing sources familiar with the matters.
The new graphics chip inside the yet-unannounced iPad 2 is said to pack four times the processing capability of the A4 chips in current iPads, iPhone 4, and Apple TV. The video chip would run alongside a multiple-core ARM Cortex A9 general-purpose processor inside the tablet. It is also possible Apple would extend the new graphics and processing chips to its entire line of iOS products, including the next-generation iPhone, iPod Touch, and Apple TV.
Besides the latest speculation on the processing power of the iPad 2, the next-generation tablet is rumored to also include dual cameras (one on the back with flash and one on the front for FaceTime), as well as a slimmer design and a larger speaker. Leaked photos allegedly depicting the display of the iPad 2 indicate that the tablet will also feature a high-resolution screen, exactly double the pixels of the current iPad (reaching 1536 by 800), in order to preserve compatibility with current apps.
Another hot iPad 2 rumor is that the tablet will feature a triple-mode wireless chip, which would allow it to run on either GSM + UMTS or CDMA networks, thanks to a Qualcomm chipset. This is unlike the current iPhone 4, which runs either on Verizon or AT&T, as they two different hardware models. This triple-mode chip could also make its way on the next version of the iPhone, expected this summer.
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