A new report suggests Apple’s next-gen iPad could boast “full” 3D capabilities.
“The fact that the iPad 3 is 3D is a dead certainty,” a Hollywood insider told Sylvie Barak of RCR Wireless.
The source added that numerous “big film studios” were frantically attempting to prepare 3D content in time for Apple’s next launch.
Meanwhile, additional sources at Foxconn appeared to confirm the report, telling industry insiders a 3D-enabled iPad is definitely in the works.
It should be noted that Apple was recently granted a patent for a projection system capable of allowing multiple users to simultaneously view 3D images without wearing pesky glasses.
Dubbed the “three-dimensional display system,” the patent provides “highly effective, practical, efficient, uncomplicated, and inexpensive autostereoscopic 3D displays that allow the observer complete and unencumbered freedom of movement.”
My take on a 3D iPad?
Clearly, Apple isn’t going to launch a 3D-enabled iPad unless it can be done right. And we all know that forcing consumers to wear a pair of ugly glasses from the 1950s is neither a feature nor a benefit.
That being said, a “glasses free” device isn’t an automatic recipe for success.
Remember, Nintendo 3DS sales have been rather lackluster, and there is no guarantee a 3D iPad will be seen as anything less than a gimmick.
Still, if executed and marketed properly, a 3D iPad is likely to appeal to a wider audience than the 3DS, as it will have a larger and crisper screen, and won’t just be limited to playing games.
Personally, I can’t wait for an iPad with a glasses-free 3D pico projector. But hey, I know that could take a while.
