Rumor: iPad 3 will be thicker than iPad 2

The next iteration of Apple’s iPad tablet will lose some of its sexiness in favor of a higher-resolution display.

There are rumors that the iPad 3 will have a nearly unparalleled resolution of 2048 x 1536, which is double that of the iPad 2.

In order to accommodate such a powerful display, though, Apple will need a more powerful backlighting system. As such, according to a report on iLounge.com, there will be an additional light bar under the hood of the new tablet.

That will force the device to be 0.7mm thicker than the super slim iPad 2. Surely for any Apple fan, though, that won’t be a deterrent for owning what will be the highest-resolution tablet on the market.

The iPad isn’t the only product that will be bulking up next year. The same iLounge report sheds some light on the iPhone 5. Citing an unnamed Apple insider, the publication suggests the new version of the iPhone will be nearly one centimeter thicker than its predecessor.

That will supposedly be due to the need for a bigger battery, since the iPhone 5 will be have 4G LTE connectivity. We all know one of the biggest issues with LTE is that it sucks batteries to no end, and Apple’s championing of long battery life is surely a tough issue to address.

So Apple, the company that has always slimmed down its products with each new entry, has realized that being technologically superior is sometimes more important. But don’t expect any official details until 2012.