iPad 3 Release Date

Dongles in 2012 = NO NO

The new iPad is released and selling like hot cakes. Our previous post listed some of the much anticipated features that went missing in this third generation tablet from Apple. Here are some more of the coveted features not available currently. We might see them in next release in 2013 or may be in this year only if that rumor about two or more tablet releases in same year is true.

Siri: The new iPad features just the voice dictation and not the full-blown Siri. Too much load on the backend servers might be the reason for not featuring this on iPad. Apple might have thought of saving this trump card for the next release.

SD Card Slot: The entire Mac lineup with the exception of Mac Pro now features a card slot. It would have been a good addition to the iPad and something that many people have been crying out for.  I still cant believe this has’nt been included in an Apple tablet!

Smart Cover: A cover smart big enough to cover the backside of the iPad would have been a nice addition. It would have saved the scratches on the back side that we all have from lumping the thing around in our bags.

Single 4G LTE version: AT&T and Verizon use different spectrums for their LTE operations and this leaves with no option to hop between networks. The only saving grace is both models of the new iPad are capable of using GSM/UMTS networks worldwide, thus we can use a local SIM card and browse at 3G speeds.

USB Port: As tablets are becoming a replacement for PC, it is surprising how Apple missed this point. Tim Cook’s talk of a post-PC era doesn’t make much sense without the ability to plug-in external devices directly.  There is the option of using a dongle from the camera kit but who on earth still uses dongles!  I’m always losing mine and that’s good enough reason to have a port built in to the ipad.

Can you think of any other that Apple (and we too) missed that should have been featured in this version of iPad?

Looks like LTE (Long Term Evolution) or 4G is going to debut on iPad 3 for sure. According to sources from Wall Street Journal, AT&T and Verizon Wireless will sell an iPad 3 that works with their 4G wireless networks. Verizon and AT&T are the only two carriers in U.S that offer LTE and they are wanting to make the most of the iPad 3 market to reap the dividends of their huge investments.

AT&T and Verizon are the same operators that currently sell the iPad 2 and these iPad2’s are built on different hardware setups due to differences in their networks. No information is yet available if the iPad3 will be like this or if Apple comes up with a single configuration that will work on both networks. Though these carriers have sold many LTE enabled smart phones, battery issues bogged them from wide spread usage. According to our previous post, this is the very reason that Apple wants to test LTE first on an iPad rather than on an iPhone. The two carriers are hoping that existing subscribers will upgrade to more profitable contracts. LTE will also help the carriers handle data traffic in an efficient way without consuming much of their spectrum.

While iPad 3 4G will test the robustness of these carriers, it is a win-win scenario for Apple too. Apple needs the speed of LTE networks to roll out their 1080 pixel video calling. Also when iPad3 is going to double the resolution it needs a larger bandwidth pipe. Faster networks can further drive the development of hosted apps. A LTE enabled iPad 3 might come at a price as Apple always charged $130 more for these iPads compared with a Wi-Fi only model. But if LTE enabled iPad 3 generates rich, varied hosted apps it might make way for a LTE enabled iPhone 5.