Rumours have surfaced backed by analysts speculation that Apple is stocking up parts for the iPad G2 and it’s slated for a Q2 2011 launch not end of this year as earlier speculated.

We believe there’s some weight in this rumours as the first generation iPad is nearing it’s replacement life cycle. If you know Apple, you’ll know that they are predictable and that product revisions come like clockwork. So the first generation iPad that made its debut early April this year will be up for a replacement roughly around the same time next year.

So what can we expect from the second generation of the device the ushered the age of the tablet?

For starters it’s a safe bet that a forward facing camera and FaceTime will make an appearance on the iPad. It’s a natural progression, the the new iPod touch has a forward facing camera and FaceTime so why not the iPad. If there’s a forward facing camera, you can expect a rearward facing camera for taking pictures and videos to be on the new iPad as well.

We’re inclined to think that Apple might stick with the 5MP count as seen on the iPhone 4 to save cost and keep those margins high but we might be wrong.

Analysts are also saying that the new iPad could very well be thinner and lighter than the first generation iPad but not smaller. So expect the 9.7in screen format to remain while the competition attempt to lure you with much more pocketable 7in tablet.

The analysts also claim that the new iPad will have a mini-USB port as opposed to the proprietary port that’s prevalent on the iPhone and iPod touch, and nano. We don’t think this is going to happen for two reasons. First, it doesn’t make sense for Apple to forgo the proprietary port because a big majority of its portable idevices are using it. Second, mini-USB is almost dead now with most manufacturers opting to include micro-USB ports in their device. Plus if the iPad is to be any thinner, a micro-USB port is the way to go.

We’re inclined to think that in addition to the proprietary port, Apple may also include a micro-USB port but this is a long shot.

Expect price to be roughly the same or lower and we expect to see an official launch here in Malaysia.

This is all of course mere speculation at the moment but April 2011 is just six months away and we bet there will be a buzz of information coming in as we move closer to the launch of the new iPad — provided of course the launch is in Q2 2011.

Till then, keep it locked on to SoyaCincau.com where you will get the latest updates on mobile tech in Malaysia.

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	iPad, Mobile Devices, Rumour Mill
	apple, FaceTime, iPad, iPad 2, iPad G2, rumour