More rumors speculating the technical specifics of Apple’s iPad 2 have emerged today, as a report from iLounge lists a few details which may be introduced when the device is announced. Although the information comes from an iLounge source that has proven to be reliable in the past, the information provided lists features that we don’t think we’ll see in the iPad 2 just yet.
The first of three suggests that the second-generation device will boast NFC (near field communications) capabilities, and that Apple is working on accessories that will work with the NFC/RFID chips in the device. iLounge explains some of the benefits of having this chip in the device:
In the most basic implementation, an accessory could announce its presence and potential functions to an iPad or iPhone without the need for a Bluetooth or similar connection; our source suggests that an otherwise simple case could include a radio chip so that an inserted iPhone or iPad could go into power-saving hibernation mode automatically. More complex accessories will go far beyond that.
The second rumor is one I have previously heard about the new device, and that’s a carbon fibre housing that would replace the current aluminum one. The advantage of a carbon fibre shell is weight loss, as the material is significantly lighter than aluminum. iPad shells made from carbon fibre have already been discovered, but there’s no indication as to whether the final model of the device will feature the material.
The last rumor is, for me, the most questionable one. According to the iLounge source, an Apple supplier has been asked to manufacture a component that would be used in a smaller tablet device, suggesting the next round of iPads could offer a 7-inch model. However, you may recall that Steve Jobs mocked smaller tablets and branded them “dead on arrival” earlier this year, leading us to believe that Apple would not be offering up a 7-inch iPad.
What are you thoughts on the latest rumors? Is there anything here that you’d like to see in the iPad 2, and do you think any of them will appear? Let us know in the comments.
{via MacRumors}
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