Apple works on future versions of iPad 2
29 Dec 2010
If industry sources at chip component makers are to be believed, Apple is working on three versions of iPad 2 comprising Wi-Fi, UMTS and CDMA models, the Taiwanese news daily DigiTimes has reported. The iPads would be taken up for mass production in late January it said.
According to analysts, though this is yet another secretive update from ''industry sources'', there is no way to confirm the veracity of the reports.
Though the Apple iPad has gained huge popularity and is the most discussed and searched gadget of this year, there still remain several shortcomings in the device, which analysts, expect to be fixed in the next-generation Apple iPad 2. Apple follows and annual product cycle under which it delivers a new product with design and/or hardware refresh almost every year.
Given that the iPad's annual product cycle period is January Apple may be expected to announce the new iPad 2 at or after the Consumer Electronics Show 2011 in Las Vegas analysts say.
According to sources at Taiwanese component makers, around 60 to 65 per cent of the current iPad shipments consist of UMTS 3G model and Apple is therefore expected to work closely with telecom operators to roll out a second-generation iPad in conjunction with different wireless majors.
Apple plans to make shipments of around 500,000-530,000 iPad units in January at a ratio of 3:4:3 for Wi-Fi, UMTS and CDMA models respectively.
