NEWS ANALYSIS: There are rumors everywhere about Apple and the upcoming iPad 3 tablet. But to believe that we know anything of any substance about the device is a falsehood.
It's January. And that means for the
next several months, we'll be forced to wade through
rumor after rumor about Apple's iPad 3. Even
after the device launches-which, the rumor mill suggests, could happen in
March-reports will surface over Apple's plans for future updates and even the
device's successor. Simply put, there's no rest for the weary in the great land
of Apple rumors.
Unfortunately, with all the rumors that
surface, people fall into the trap of believing that some of them are true. And
why not? Publications like
DigiTimes
make their so-called "sources" appear to be so trustworthy, and their
suggestions seem so plausible, that not to believe them would be ludicrous,
some folks think. Apple is definitely launching the iPad 3 this year, rumor
lovers say, and it needs to offer some improvements, so why shouldn't at least
some of the rumors be true?
It's a logical argument. But given the
history of Apple rumors, there's a good chance, even with all the reports that
have already cropped up, we're not even close to figuring out what the iPad 3
will come with. Apple is notoriously secretive. And it has a tendency to
surprise even the most cynical industry observers.
Read on to find out what we still don't
know about the iPad 3, despite what the rumors say.
1.
Will it have Siri?
When Apple launched its virtual
personal assistant application Siri with the iPhone 4S,
immediately, folks started wondering if it would be coming
to the iPad 3. Rumors suggest it will, and there's a solid chance
that will be the case. But so far, Apple hasn't made that commitment. And until
it does, don't bet too heavily on those rumors.
2.
When will it launch?
Given Apple's history of iPad launches,
it seems rather likely that
the company will unveil its next-generation tablet in March
or April. And most rumors seem to follow that logic. But with Tim
Cook now calling the shots and the possibility of quad-core processors-which
will likely come in the iPad 3-delaying production times a bit, that scheduling
could be off.
3.
What will it cost?
The iPad 3's price might just be the
easiest rumor to predict. After all, Apple has historically delivered a new
version of its smartphone or tablet each year, and the new devices are priced
the same as their predecessors. It's a pricing move that has helped Apple in
big ways in the past. And most rumors suggest it will happen again with the
iPad 3. But until Apple actually unveils the new tablet, don't convince
yourself of it.
4.
Will it be a major upgrade?
Quite often, consumers want to know if
an upcoming Apple device will be a major upgrade over its predecessor. And
quite often, the rumors say it will be. But as the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S showed
quite convincingly, major upgrades aren't always made available by Apple. The
latest rumors say the iPad 3 will be a major step up over the iPad 2, but given
Apple's comfortable lead in the tablet space, the company might not feel
compelled to deliver such a device this year.
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