iPad 2: what to expect

It seems like only yesterday that Steve Jobs was unveiling the game-changing iPad which, in its first incarnation, ignited public interest in tablets for web browsing, gaming and other light computing duties. But time has moved on and 8 months is a lifetime in the world of technology. To take on the likes of Samsung's Galaxy Tab or RIM's hotly anticipated PlayBook, Apple is going to have to raise its game, which begs the question: what should we expect from the second coming of their super-smart slate, the iPad 2?

Cameras
It's been all but confirmed that the iPad 2 will offer both front and rear facing cameras, though there hasn't been any talk of what to expect in terms of pixel-count or quality. We'd be surprised if the rear-facing effort was any smaller than the iPhone 4's hugely impressive 5-megapixel camera, and we'd be willing to bet our shirts on a flash too. In terms of front-facing optics we expect to see a HD capable shooter to allow users to get the best out of FaceTime and Skype's upcoming HD video-chat software, which will likely be in the region of 2-megapixels.

Display
It's been heavily rumoured that Apple will bring their game-changing Retina Display to the next incarnation of the iPad, leaving us to salivate at the prospect of a 10.1-inch screen with the same amazing clarity as the iPhone 4 which, if rumours are to be believed, will feature Gorilla Glass and an anti-glare coating to afford users more visibility in well-lit areas.

Dual-Core Power
In order to hold its own against the slew of NVIDIA Tegra 2 toting tablets that are heading for market, the iPad 2 is going to have to offer a processor of similar power and sophistication. Analysts are predicting something along the lines of a dual-core ARM Cortex chip, running at 1GHz, which should be sufficient to allow Apple's up and comer to keep pace with the high-definition gaming and media capabilities being offered by competitors.

USB 3.0 Connectivity
One drawback of the original iPad was the lack of USB connectivity, and it seems likely that Apple has listened to the masses and will aim to put right their initial oversight. So we fully expect to see support for the latest standard, 3.0 which should allow users to transfer data to and from their iPad with lightening speed.

More RAM
It doesn't take too much of a leap of faith to predict that Apple will be looking to beef up the memory quota of its new tablet. The original iPad offered a mere 256MB but we're expecting at least twice that amount in the new device, or even a future-proof 1GB to make sure the slate continues to impress in the coming months and years.

2011 is going to be the year of the tablet and it would be naive to write Apple off, even in the face of such impressive opposition.  In the midst of all this rumour and hyperbole one thing is certain, Apple will continue pushing forward, bringing features to the device that other developers won't have even considered. With an official announcement expected in February, we don't have long to wait until our minds are blown by once again, by Cupertino's finest.

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