iPad 3 and iPad 4 Continues Apple Trend of Releasing New Devices with Minimal Updates

By Elton Jones, Christian Post Reporter Friday, January 06, 2012

New rumors surrounding Apple’s upcoming iPad 3 and iPad 4 suggests that the company is continuing its trend of releasing devices with minimal updates.

The company is set to release its next generation of iPad models for the new year. Technology website DigiTimes cited Taiwanese industry sources and revealed the details surrounding the next line of Apple tablets.

The report stated that the iPad 3 will officially launch in March of this year. "The iPad 3 will come with a QXGA (1,536×2,048 pixels) display and longer battery life although its other hardware specifications may not be so amazing as expected, said the sources," the website reported. "But Apple will take the advantage of the iPad 3 launch to slash the price of its iPad 2 to U.S. $399, the sources claimed."

DigiTimes also reported on the rumored iPad 4. The website claimed it will be launching in October 2012. This device is said to measure out to 9.7-inches. It is also rumored to have "killer applications," all-around upgraded hardware specifications, and "integrated applications so as to compete with an array of Android-, Wintel- or WoA (Windows on ARM)-based tablet PCs."

The iPad 4 is expected to double its current battery capacity to approximately 14,000mAH, which lends itself to a longer battery life.

These rumors may have Apple customers and tech diehards clamoring for the new iPads, but they also reflect a growing trend from Apple.

Previous iterations of the iPad sport similar features. The main differences in both models stems from their chip processors and camera systems.

The first iPad sports a 1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed performance chip, as well as 256 MB of RAM. However, it doesn’t feature a front-or back-facing camera or HDMI capabilities.

As for the iPad 2, it comes with a 1GHz Dual Core Apple A5 chip, 512MB of RAM, a front-facing VGA camera, a rear-facing camera for HD video recording and HDMI compatibilities.

The iPad 2 is also 15-percent lighter than the iPad 2, coming in at 1.33-lbs for the Wi-Fi only version. The Wi-Fi with 3G version weighs 1.34- to 1.35-lbs. The original iPad’s Wi-Fi only edition weighs 1.6-lbs and the Wi-Fi with 3G model weighs 1.66-lbs.

These stand as the only substantial differences between the iPad and its iPad 2 successor. Both tablet devices have the same network compatibility options, screen size, connectivity capabilities, internal memory space options and operating systems.

People come out in droves to purchase new devices from Apple, but it seems to indicate that customers would rather have the latest device instead of a substantially upgraded successor.

The short release window also seems to point out that customers who buy an Apple product won’t have long to enjoy it. This is because Apple tends to debut and release a new version in the next year for a larger price tag.

The first iPad released on Apr. 3, 2010. The iPad released only a year later on Mar. 11, 2011.

Brian Sousa, writer for figurethingsout.com, made a statement on where the iPad 2’s customer base target lies. He said the device is "aimed at people who don’t know any better and just want the latest cool toy."

Joshua Lindsey, a user on Yahoo’s Answer website, advised potential customers to stick with the first iPad. "Stick with the 1st iPad," he posted. "It's a lot cheaper and it’s basically the same as the iPad 2. The only difference is that the iPad 2 is a little lighter, thinner and has a camera. Not a tremendous jump."

So far, both the iPad 3 and iPad 4's only reported upgrades concern their battery life and screen display. Customers may want to wait until Apple unveils a new tablet that brings new, worthwhile specifications and features to the table.
.