Like any big tech product, the iPad 2 has seen a whole lot of rumors and speculation long before the company that will be making it has even said a word about it. But it looks like Apple will finally say something about its next-gen tablet on February 9.
Sometimes, Apple announces a product the day it becomes available. So depending on the company’s plans, February 9 may or may not also be the iPad 2 launch date.
While no one has gotten any sort of leaked images of the next-gen iPad, rumors suggest it will carry version 4.3 of Apple’s iOS software, will have USB ports, and will include both a front-facing and rear-facing digital camera.
That means the iPad 2 will be able to run FaceTime just like the iPhone and iPod Touch, one of those devices’ most popular features.
The iPad is starting to see some real competition, as Samsung’s Galaxy Tab is selling well and other forthcoming tablets are starting to make big headlines. Sprint is planning the launch of 4G tablets, which will be an industry first, and HTC is reported to be working on a glasses-free 3D display for tablet computers.
The February 9 rumor comes from the fact that in an alpha version of iOS 4.3, the icon for the built-in camera application shows the date of 2/9. We’ll see in a couple weeks whether that actually means anything or not.
