There have been many rumors, as Apple has accustomed us so far, surrounding the future version of the iPad. Sources state that next-generation iPads are expected to adopt LCD panels with resolution higher than 2048 by 1536. The current single LED light bar designed for the iPad 2S/3 will have to be modified in order to maintain or strengthen the brightness of the panels. DigiTimes claims that Apple has two alternatives to chose from, offered by LED black-light vendors: one proposition would be to keep the light bar in a single-bar form factor but with two LED chips inside, the other suggests using dual-LED light bars.
Apple is more likely to adopt the design using dual light bars, as the blacklight unit vendors have solved issues related to heat dissipation and battery consumption for the dual light design. It is highly uncertain whether Apple is launching an incremental update for the iPad, or a completely redesigned tablet in the coming months. Apple is expected by some to introduce the iPad 3 early next year, with The Wall Street Journal being the highest-profile publication to confirm that timeline. A higher-resolution "Retina" display is the most widely-claimed enhancement scheduled for the device, although several reports have indicated that Apple's suppliers are struggling to produce the displays in volume.
Judging by the company’s annual refresh cycles, the next tablet could arrive sometime around March, yet overall industry experts can not yet agree whether this will be an iPad 2S (much like the incrementally updated iPhone 4S) or a full-fledged iPad 3 redesign. Inside sources have indicated that even if Apple does launch only a minor update to the iPad 2, the tablet’s design will be thinner – a huge selling point for all portable devices, not just Apple’s. Slimmer is better these days!
Source: PCWorld
