Rumor: Apple "iPad 3" to be iPad HD; release date: "soon"

By Richi Jennings (@richi ) - July 12, 2011.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is said to be readying the iPad 3, except it won't be called that -- the rumor is it'll be called iPad HD, thanks to its Retina display. And it still appears that the release date is this year. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers squint at their suddenly-unacceptably-low-resolution screens.

Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for your entertainment. Not to mention: A welcome return to form from the Gregory Brothers...

Joshua Topolsky dishes the dirt:

Our sources are saying that...there is going to be a new entry into the iPad family. ... [It's] said to sport a double resolution screen (2048 x 1536), and will be dubbed the “iPad HD.” ... [I]t will be a “pro” device aimed at a higher end market. ... This product is specifically said to not be the iPad 3, rather a complementary piece of the iPad 2 line. Think MacBook and MacBook Pro. ...
...
...[T]hat said, there are always surprises in store at an Apple event. September is a long way off, and things can certainly change.  

 
David Carnoy FAQs:

Why would Apple introduce another 9.7-inch iPad so soon? It...would most likely anger a lot of folks who already bought an iPad 2. Sales of larger Android tablets...don't pose much of a threat to Apple's domination of the tablet market this year. ... [T]he name iPad HD just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I could see Apple going with "iPad Pro." ...
...
...[W]here such a display would come in handy is when looking at very high-resolution images and documents that require...precise viewing. ... [W]hen reading ebooks, letters will appear sharper, too. ... [H]igher-resolution graphics would certainly bring a greater degree of realism to certain types of games. But...at what cost? Apple won't put out an iPad that can't equal the battery life of the previous version.  

 
Aaron Lee and Steve Shen offer rumor triangulation:

Apple reportedly plans to add a second manufacturer for iPad 3 tablet PCs...according to industry sources in Taiwan.
...
The new iPads will be launched at the end of the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter, noted the sources.  

 
Chris Foresman has heard it all before:

While early iPad 2 rumors suggested a "Retina" display would be featured, the device instead shipped [with] the same 1024 x 768 resolution as the original. ... [A]ssuming sufficient tech would allow a 10" 2048x1536 display to be built for a reasonable price. The resulting pixel density...would be much sharper...and would allow older apps to be easily scaled...with minimal processor overhead and zero developer effort.
...
Apple started including pixel-doubled artwork in versions of iBooks for iPad some time ago. It recently added yet more 2048x1536 pixel artwork...for newer features. ... So it seems a pretty safe bet that a future iPad will definitely use this resolution.  

 
Ridiculous rumor? Gloria Sin craves forgiveness: [You're fired -Ed.]

[S]ounds expensive if not battery intensive. That said, if this...is marketed to those who spend thousands on high end camera lenses and cameras as tools of their trade, then [it] may not be as ridiculous as it first sounds.  

 
And Finally...
A welcome return to form from the Gregory Brothers

        
 
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Richi Jennings is an independent analyst/consultant, specializing in blogging, email, and security. He's the creator and main author of Computerworld's IT Blogwatch -- for which he has won American Society of Business Publication Editors and Jesse H. Neal awards on behalf of Computerworld. He also writes The Long View for IDG Enterprise. A cross-functional IT geek since 1985, you can follow him as @richi on Twitter, pretend to be richij's friend on Facebook, or just use good old email: itbw@richij.com. You can also read Richi's full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.