The iPad HD Will Go on Sale March 16
Many sites have noticed that Apple just made some changes to the iPad App Store. Most notable: the creation of a whole-new category called Catalogs. The category now has dozens of apps, including catalogs from such brands as Saks Fifth Avenue and IKEA. Might Apple roll out a similar revenue-sharing system for catalogs as it has for publishers today?
Besides the addition of Catalogs, the Store's Top Charts scroll sideways and the movement is more fluid, reports say.
This rumor comes from 9to5Mac, which says an Apple Store source tipped them the actual launch date, which is March 16. That makes sense -- most major Apple product launches have taken place on Fridays. It would also be about a week and half after the unveiling, just short enough to keep with Apple's pattern of near-immediate availability and just long enough to ensure a production sample doesn't get spotted in the wild before the event. It's also the same date that two new Apple stores, including one in London's Harrod's department store, are opening.
Catalogs Category Added to iPad App Store
Many sites have noticed that Apple just made some changes to the iPad App Store. Most notable: the creation of a whole-new category called Catalogs. The category now has dozens of apps, including catalogs from such brands as Saks Fifth Avenue and IKEA. Might Apple roll out a similar revenue-sharing system for catalogs as it has for publishers today?
Besides the addition of Catalogs, the Store's Top Charts scroll sideways and the movement is more fluid, reports say.
No Quad-Core Chip
Although many early reports suggested the iPad HD would have a quad-core chip called the A6, it appears that was pure speculation. The Verge reports that there will be a new processor, but it'll be called the A5X and remain a dual-core design. It'll also feature improved graphics. There will be an A6 chip, the report says, but Apple's saving it for the iPhone 5.
1GB of RAM
This rumor is based on some deduction from mobile blogger Chronic, who reasoned from another rumor (actually a photo posted on Boy Genius Report that allegedly shows a screen full of code from the iPad HD) that the iPad HD has 1GB of RAM. That fits in perfectly with expectation, as the iPad had 256MB and the iPad 2 had 512MB.
AppleCare+ Will Be Available
Again, not a surprise, but MacRumors says Apple will offer the new AppleCare+ plan that protects against damage on the iPad HD. Once a customer purchases AppleCare+, which is offered for the iPhone 4S, Apple will replace the unit twice in the case of accidental damage -- for a fee. On the iPhone 4S, it's $49 for each incident, but for an iPad, it'll probably be more.
4G LTE at Apple Stores
The presence of 4G LTE as an option on the iPad HD is all but confirmed, though Cult of Mac reports that Verizon is also installing LTE equipment at U.S. Apple Stores ahead of the launch. And if you remember from way back last year, AT&T was allegedly doing the same thing. If both reports are true, it may all have been in anticipation of Apple rolling out LTE on its devices, which is probably happening today. Presumably, even if a certain area doesn't have LTE yet, it there's an Apple Store, customers will be able to experience its speed.
Bluetooth 4.0
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) strongly suggested to us last night that the iPad Apple unveils today will include Bluetooth 4.0. It's another expected upgrade, but it also means the new iPad will be able to serve as a hub for low-power Bluetooth 4.0 devices, like wearable medical equipment.
Haptic Feedback?
One site, Pocket-lint, reports Apple will include a new technology to enhance the touch-screen. This rumor is a bit questionable, as it's the first we've heard of it, and Apple has generally kept the its touch-screens consistent since the launch of the first iPhone. Still, many users have campaigned for haptic feedback -- when the screen produces a slight vibration upon being touched. Still, Apple did emphasize in its invitation that it had something the press really needed to "touch." Could it be new touch tech from a company called Senseg, as the report suggest? We'll see in a few hours.
Updated Apple TV Will Do 1080p Video
Not an iPad HD rumor, but it's been widely reported that Apple will introduce a new Apple TV set-top box today as well. Enhancing it with the ability to output 1080p video is a no-brainer -- after all, the current iPad and iPhone can already do this, so it makes sense to have the experience consistent across devices. But will there be new content partnerships? Stay iTuned.
Even though Apple hasn’t said anything about what it’s going to talk about today at its event in San Francisco, we are almost 100% certain it’s going to unveil a new iPad called the iPad HD (not the iPad 3) with a high-resolution “retina” display, an improved processor and the option of getting a model equipped with 4G LTE connectivity.
How do we know all this? Rumors, of course. While outlandish Apple rumors on tech blogs and news sites are as common as hipsters at coffee shops, as an Apple event approaches they tend to converge into a consensus, with more reliable sources and outlets reporting similar, if mundane, developments.
So now, with the event mere hours away, what does that leave us to speculate on? Quite a lot, actually. Now that the main points have been settled on, the attention turns to the finer details and last-minute breadcrumbs that Apple and others have left in our path to the Yerba Buena Center, the venue for today’s festivities.
SEE ALSO: 8 Things That Could Make iPad 3 More Expensive Than iPad 2
In a similar fashion, when many of the details about the iPhone 4S had been prematurely revealed last fall, it was left for Apple to surprise the world with Siri and the addition of Sprint to its U.S. carrier partners. Sure, many were still holding out hope for a true “iPhone 5,” but the real news was in the details.
Now, as then, more information began to trickle out at the last minute, just a day or so before the event. Here’s a roundup of the last-minute rumors surrounding Apple’s launch of the iPad HD.
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, 4FR
Source: Mashable
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