Three wishes for iPad3?
As excitement builds ahead of the expected launch of Apple’s iPad3, Channel 4 News asks technology experts and fans what new features we can expect to see – and the ones they are secretly wishing for.
Technology giant Apple has invited journalists to “a special event” in north London, which will run parallel to an announcement in California where Apple bosses are expected to unveil the new iPad.
One rumour doing the rounds is that the new product’s name could be iPadHD rather then iPad3 – a reference to its higher resolution screen.
The announcement will be the first big event for Apple since the death of its talismanic co-founder Steve Jobs.
Read more: A one-man brand - can Apple survive without Jobs?
But Nate Lanxon, editor of Wired.co.uk, reckons the latest gadget will be very much a Jobs job.
He told Channel 4 News: “The average man in the street may see this as a test of a post-Jobs Apple, but in reality the company’s product development times are so lengthy that Jobs will have had his hands on the iPad3 long ago.
“It’ll come into its own after app developers have had time to get their hands on the new technology and build games and software that can really take advantage of it,” he added.
Nate Lanxon's iPad3 predictions:
Huge horsepower for 3D graphics
The highest-resolution screen in a tablet
I wouldn't be surprised if it was slightly thicker than the iPad2
News Editor at The Next Web Matt Brian told Channel 4 News what he’s expecting to find.
Matt Brian's iPad3 predictions:
Retina Display (2,048 x 1,536 pixels)
LTE support (4G)
Potential quad-core A5X/A6 processor
So what three features would our panel of tech experts like to see on the third version of the iPad?
Anna Leach, from The Register, told Channel 4 News it’s highly likely Apple will again hold back features for later launches. She’s on the lookout for progress towards the much talked-about Apple TV, Below are her three tips for iPad3.
Anna Leach's iPad3 wishlist:
4G network capability
Siri - the virtual assistant
Gesture control
Wired’s Tom Cheshire reckons the new device will probably contain a faster processor, Siri and a retina screen.
Tom Cheshire's iPad3 wishlist:
Waterpoof for bath use
Longer battery
Hover capability
Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy, who roadtested the very first iPad for us, would like to see “more connectivity”.
The email inviting journalists to today’s event includes a close-up photograph of what appears to be a touch screen device.
The invitation adds: “We have something you really have to see. And touch.”
Krishnan's iPad3 wishlist:
A mini USB slot to connect external drive and card readers
A microphone input
I also want to be able to make phone calls and record them using iOS
Long queues formed outside Apple’s flagship store in Regent Street, central London, two years ago as hundreds vied to get their hands on the original iPad when it was launched.
The company sold more than one million iPads in the US in the first 100 days making it a faster seller than the iPhone.
The company’s last release was the iPhone 4S – complete with voice recognition software – which went on sale in October.