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iPad 2 Release Rumors: What Features Will The New iPad Have?

Everything You Need To Know About iPad 2 Rumors
By 

Director of Trends and Social Media, The Huffington Post

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Apple has a special event planned for Wednesday, March 2, and it looks like the company may be unveiling a new version of the iPad.

The rumor mill has been swirling. From full-out redesigns to cameras to displays, it seems everyone thinks the next iPad will see some dramatic changes.

We've compiled a guide to the most-discussed iPad 2 rumors below (there are always more out there). What features do you expect--and hope--to see? Read more about the iPad 2 here.

A Smaller iPad?(01 of08)
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Steve Jobs said it won't happen, but it's not like he's never misled us before. "The reason we [won't] make a 7-inch tablet isn't because we don't want to hit that price point, it's because we think the screen is too small to express the software," Steve Jobs said in October of 2010.On the other hand, Digitimes has suggested that Apple has been working on a smaller version that would be released around now. A 5-to-7 inch version might make sense, though it would likely require developers to redesign the proportions of some of their apps. (credit:Flickr:bfishadow)
Multiple Versions?(02 of08)
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A Verizon CFO already leaked that the iPad is getting a version that will have built-in Verizon compatibility, just as Digitimes had reported weeks before the Verizon iPhone announcement. Digitimes wrote, "Apple is expected to release three versions of iPad 2, supporting either or a combination of Wi-Fi, UMTS and CDMA, for 2011 with mass production to start as early as the later half of January. Apple will ship about 500,000-530,000 units to channels in January with shipment ratio of Wi-Fi, UMTS and CDMA models at 3:4:3, according to industry sources, citing upstream component makers." (credit:AP)
USB Or 'Other' Port?(03 of08)
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The camera connection kit was useful, but a USB port would make a new iPad far more like a computer than the original. However, as new ports named "Thunderbolt" have appeared on the MacBook Pro upgrades, it could be that they'll show up on the new iPad next. (credit:Flickr:mawel)
Slimmer?(04 of08)
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There were a few iPad 2 mock-ups spotted at CES, and even the Wall Street Journal says we'll be getting a slimmer iPad. For further proof, it seems case makers have received slightly smaller measurements for new cases, according to CrunchGear. (credit:Flickr:jfingas)
Sharper Screen?(05 of08)
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iPhone 4's Retina Display on a larger screen might be great, and it also might eat a lot of battery. In any case, CrunchGear has reported that some images found in the latest edition of iBooks that suggest future generations could have quadruple the resolution of the original iPad. However, the Wall Street Journal reported that, the "resolution of the display will be similar to the first iPad." (credit:Flickr:StartAgain)
Better Speakers?(06 of08)
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Apple Insider reported that the new iPad may come with improved speakers and a few photos and videos of cases have recently suggested the same thing. (credit:Flickr:bfishadow)
No/Different/New Home Button?(07 of08)
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Possibly one of the most doubted and drastic Apple changes suggested by the Apple rumor mill is that the next generation of iPads and iPhones may not have a home button. According to Boy Genius Report, one Apple source said the device will lose the button in favor of multi-touch gestures. How credible the rumor is remains to be determined. (credit:Flickr:bfishadow)
Flash?(08 of08)
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Though this may be just optimism on the part of many, there is always a chance that Apple and Adobe "make nice" and the iPad 2 becomes Flash-compatible. (credit:AP)

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