As the new iPad’s features are being analyzed, it is also time to go over some of the much expected features and rumors that were missing.

Look

First things first! The new iPad doesn’t differ much from the iPad 2 looks wise. Though the casing is slightly tapered, it is not a radical change. But the lack of a design and look change is more than compensated with many under the hood configuration changes.

Smaller option?

Amazon Kindle Fire’s success raked up lot of debate on the 8-inch iPad Mini and about giving choice to the customers in choosing the form factor. We couldn’t even find a trace about this in the iPad event, but still rumors are strong that a tablet with different size will be released by Apple later in this year only. If they do release, at least we have a name for it – ‘the small iPad’.

Quad Core Processor

Many analysts expected debut of A6 quad-core processor .This made more sense as the quad-core market is heating up with Nvidia’s Tegra 3 and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors. The new iPad comes with A5X and Apple claims it is four times faster than Tegra 3. But it is still not an A6 and there’s a lot in the name! Siri’s integration with iPad was taken for granted by everyone, but there’s no mention of whether Siri and the new iPad will allow only dictation.

Only 64gb

Other features that were expected but missing includes a 128 GB version and reduction of weight. The new retina display and 4G antenna did not help much on the weight. But it would have been good to have 128GB option. Apple has increased the 4G file download limit to 50 MB and with all those HD pictures and videos 64GB limit can fill up quite quickly.

iO6 please???

No iO6, well it was a bit of a long shot but there were some rumors of it popping up in logs.  I guess we will have to wait till June 2012 for the Apple’s World Wide Developers conference.

The buzz is getting louder as we approach the iPad 3 release date. But still we are not sure of iPad 3’s final configuration and Apple, as always, is playing it’s cards close to the chest. Earlier we reported about the possible debut of an A6 quad-core process in iPad 3 and the related evidence found in iOS 5.1 beta update. It seems there is a twist in the tale.

A photo on the Chinese site WeiPhone claims to show iPad 3’s logic board featuring an A5X SOC (system on a chip). A4 processor initially appeared on the original iPad and iPhone 4. It was followed by the dual-core A5 processor chip in iPad 2. A6 seemed to be the logical continuation. But A5X would also fit in with Apple’s strategy of incrementally upgrading a product. iPhone 3G to 3GS and iPhone 4 to iPhone 4S are the previous precedents.

As some analysts believe that A5X is a revamped dual-core processor, there is a also a rumor doing the rounds that Apple might be working on both dual and quad-core chips for the coming iPad 3. Apple might be testing both the chips before zeroing on the best one. It is possible that Apple might use the A5X chip for the 8-inch iPad mini and A6 quad-core chip for the full-fledged iPad 3. Do you think Apple wants to give two tiers of processors and thus more choice to users in finalizing their iPad 3? We have to wait till March 7^th to get the final word on this.

As the whole world is getting ready for iPad3’s release, it seems Apple is quietly working on its next product. According to some Asian supplier’s, Apple is working on a new device of size around 8-inches. No prizes in guessing that this move is to blunt the competition arising from Amazon’s Kindle Fire. Availability of choice in choosing device size is one item that was on top of the wish lists of iPad users.

As per reports, Apple is qualifying suppliers for these new devices and is working with Taiwan based AU Optronics & South Korea’s LG. These devices are supposed to come with resolution similar to iPad 2 – ie. 1024×768. The new designs are only in the testing phase and nothing concrete about future plans though. But a move like this definitely fits the bill allowing Apple to have best of both worlds – targeting both high-end consumer with configuration like iPad3 and not so high-end consumers with a iPad Mini like device. Apple followed similar strategy in its iPod product line where it catered to a number of shapes and sizes.

Not just Kindle Fire, even Samsung’s Galaxy Note comes in small size at 5.3 inches and is doing well. This clearly shows that there is market at this Form Factor also. Samsung’s Galaxy tab comes in three different sizes and maybe it’s time Apple gives its tablet users also the choice in device size.

In our previous post, we told about how analysts are predicting an early 2012 release of iPad3 based on the increased estimates of iPad builds. Now the latest buzz as per a report from Taiwan United Daily News is – that Apple is contemplating with the idea of a 7.35-inch tablet. Could this be an iPad Mini – a new category of product from Apple?

This could be a surprising move, because Steve Jobs previously dismissed the idea of a tablet with this size. He was joking that these tablets should come with sandpaper so that users can sand down their fingers to use these devices. As per Jobs, Apple did extensive user testing and they know their stuff in this area. Considering this, what could be the reason for a move like this now? It is possible that the soon to be released 7-inch Amazon Kindle Fire might have changed the equations. Apple might be thinking to take Kindle Fire head on and maintain its supremacy in tablet market.

There’s another point of view also. Brian White of Ticonderoga feels that ‘mini’ might be from the price perspective – a tablet around $200 range. This is also very much possible, as a move like this will help Apple in taking on the Android based tablets. While iPad caters to the high-end market, with a low-cost iPad Mini Apple can have best of both worlds. In this quarter, iPad sales crossed 10million for the first time since its launch and this indicates the future potential of tablet market. We have to wait and watch if Apple will indeed launch an iPad Mini. But if it does, do you think consumers will queue for them also?