[box type=”warning”] Update: Wed 3/7 I just finished watching the keynote video from today’s keynote. I was 7 out of 7 on my predictions, 3 for 4 on my “long shots,” and 4 out of 4 on my negative predictions. The one item I got wrong was the name: I said it wasn’t going to be called the iPad 3 (correct) but instead the iPad HD or iPad 2 HD… wrong. Well, it has no name– it’s just the iPad. Won’t know about memory until the devices are in hand, but I may have to revise “longshots” downward by one.
Update 2: Thur 3/8 The Verge is reporting that their sources indicated a bump to 1GB of RAM did take place as I predicted. I will do a final update when my device arrives on the 16th. [/box]
I probably won’t do quite as well as my iPhone predictions from last year, but here are my predictions for tomorrow’s iPad event…
The gimme
- Retina Display (2048 x 1536, 4X current resolution at same 9.7" size)
- Better Camera - maybe this is wishful thinking, but it's desperately needed. (They will probably focus more energy on the rear camera, but I think this is a mistake-- the front camera is more important on this device.)
- Updated AppleTV with 1080p output, but otherwise similar to current device
- iPad 2 retained at a $100-150 discount from current pricing, probably with a single low (possibly reduced) storage option.
- Current pricing retained for newly introduced devices, despite rumors of a price increase.
- A5X dual core with beefier GPU to support retina
- Basically the same shape, matching the parts we've seen. compatible with current smart covers and most accessories.
- LTE on Verizon and AT&T (drool.) They can do this on the iPad because the battery is so huge that the impact would be negligible, unlike the iPhone.
- Memory bump (though I'm burned from my iPhone 4S memory bump prediction that ruined an otherwise perfect score.)
- 1080p content in iTunes store
- Significantly improved photo app - iPad version of either iPhoto or Aperture
- I think they will call it the iPad HD or iPad 2HD rather than the iPad 3, but I'm less confident on this.
- Same "home button" as before, despite rumors to the contrary
- No A6 Quad Core
- No big TV announcement
- No change to the dock connector this time around