iPad 3 Release Date

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.

Is a fight between iPhone 5 and iPad 3 on the cards in getting a first release date? Apple’s traditional release map had gone haywire this year as iPhone’s release date was pushed from summer to fall. And we can be pretty much sure that the two won’t be released back to back. But many decision-making factors like Apple’s 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) roadmap, quad-core A6 processor, Apple’s next gen iOS 6 and partnership between Apple and T-Mobile are common to both iPhone 5 and iPad 3.

Apple needs next generation antennas to release 4G LTE devices with decent size and a good battery life. Apple might be building these devices on its own. In that cases Apple can incorporate LTE in both the upcoming devices – iPhone 5 and iPad 3. iPad sales figures indicate that more and more iPad buyers are going with the 3G enabled model. These numbers affirm that mobile networking will be a significant factor in the iPad 3 also and not only just in iPhone 5. Both iPad 2 and iPhone 4S run on dual-core A5 processor. Its successor quad-core A6 will be ready by next year. This high-power processor can boost the performance of iPad 3 and iPhone 5 and their apps and experience.

Till now, iOS releases debuted along with a new iPhone. As of now we are not sure of either iPhone 5’s release date or the progress of iOS 6. iPhone 5 coming before iPad 3 might change the iOS pattern this time. In the meanwhile, the talk of an iPad 2S can change the equations all together. The technical and marketing teams of Apple will definitely work it out to make sure that there’s enough space between the launches of these widely-awaited products of 2012.

But could it mean a product gets pushed back even later into 2012?  We will have to wait and see

While 2012 means a lot of things to many people, this is also the year when we can expect the iPad to sport Apple’s latest chip tech. There’s nothing easy when releasing new processor technology. If it was hard for Intel, then Apple would be no exception. The Linley Group, a chip consulting firm, claims that the “A6” would not appear in the iPad 3 sooner than 2012.

According to Linley Group senior analyst Kevin Krewell, the A6 not only contains four processor cores, but will also utilize 3D technology. The previous Apple processor, A5, only has 2 cores. Krewell was cited in the Taiwan Economic News saying this. Coincidentally, Intel also announced to have 3D technology sometime in May. Apple has a new contract chip manufacturer in the company of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC). It is worth taking note that the A5 processor is made by Samsung.

“This pace would make the A6 one of the first 28 mobile processors to enter production. This schedule, however, breaks Apple’s annual processor-upgrade cycle and will delay any products using the A6 until at least June 2012,”  Krewell claims.

But if the iPad 3 is launched early in 2012, this will have to use the same A5 processor, just like the current iPad 2. Although there’s a rumor that it will be using the new high-resolution Retina display, predicts Krewell.

Krewell further predicts that the quad-core A6 will be at par with the best mobile processors of the following year. Notable of these is the expected quad-core offering of Nvidia. This chip is rumoured to power both  Android and Windows 8 devices. This necessarily includes both tablets and laptops. “Fabricating Apple’s A6 in 28nm (instead of the 40nm process Nvidia is using for its quad-core part) will reduce both die cost and power, yielding a much better product,” he said.

TSMC’s 3D technology for Apple’s A6 chip “could use 3D stacking to incorporate additional DRAM or flash memory, or to boost interconnect speed,” Krewell explains.

The author of the Linley Group’s report, Kevin Krewell, also said that the “3D Technology referred to in the Taiwan Economic News report is a way to stack and electrically connect die vertically. It could be used to connect memory die directly to the A6 SoC die. The Intel 3D technology is a transistor design where the transistor structure sticks out of the die (giving it a vertical dimension). Other chip manufacturers call it ‘FinFET’ to avoid confusion with other ’3D’ technologies.”