iPad 3 for me and you looks just like'¦ the iPad 2?

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 16 January 2012 17:22

Opinion and Analysis

With iLounge's editor Jeremy Horowitz claiming to have seen an 'iPad 3' case, the potentially shocking news, at least for some, is that it looks just like the iPad 2 - only thicker, but still likely not as thick as some.

A cheaper iPad 3 is being rumoured, along with reports that the iPad 2 might get an extra life after what would normally be its demise once a new model has launched, much like the iPhone 3GS and 4 still live despite the iPhone 4S currently ruling the roost.

We've all read or read about that Bloomberg report - a sharper 'retina display'-class screen with a 2048 x 1536 screen, 4G LTE superfast Internet connectivity, a quad-core A6 processor, 20x graphics performance improvement, more memory, more battery life, more iCrunchiness, added Vitamin C, folate, fibre and essential oils.

Then there's the somewhat shocking claim from iLounge editor Jeremy Horowitz who claims to have seen an iPad 3 case, as opposed to a full working iPad 3.

He notes that it's 1mm thicker, which according to other reports is to accommodate that 'Retina' resolution screen, and has a much bigger camera on the back, although there's apparently no LED flash, which is a bit of a disappointment for all those who wanted to turn the iPad 3 into the world's biggest and thinnest handheld torch using iTorch4 or something similar.

Indeed, Mr Horowitz says that the iPad 3 looks so similar to the iPad 2 that Apple could easily get away with calling it the iPad 2S or iPad 2HD, names that will disappoint those expecting an iPad 3 to appear, only to get an iPad 2-something instead.

Still, if the hardware inside gets the dramatic upgrades we all expect, it seems to make sense for Apple to keep using a very similar looking case to what we already have with the iPad 2.

After all, the iPad 2 was so good that Samsung basically copied it lock, stock and two laywer-friendly barrels, and with Apple's iPad 2 advertisements showing someone effortlessly lifting one side of an iPad 2, going with a very similar design is no bad thing.

Unless you were expecting the iPad 3 to look radically different, of course, but when you look at the front of all the iPhones, iPads and iPod Touches thus far, they really all do look much the same from the front.

One thing we all know for certain, however, whether Apple deigns to confirm all those roguish rumours or not, is that any iPad 3 will most definitely blend.

After all, every other iDevice has blended perfectly thus far, resulting in a highly toxic and expensively dusty brew.

So'¦ if Mr Horowitz is correct and not simply engaging in pulling everyone's legs, the iPad 3 for me and you might look just like ye olde iPad 2!