Apple has become a frontrunner in both the smart-phone and tablet markets, thanks to the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 respectively. These gadgets were born out of a desire to innovate and expand the concept of what it is possible to achieve with portable devices. 2012 is set to see the arrival of both a third-generation iPad and a sixth version of the iPhone, but will both be big hits or will one trump the other when it comes to capturing the imaginations of tech-lovers?
The iPad 3 will be launched in the first half of 2012 and although some rumours have made it into the public sphere, most details remain sketchy at best. The most recent piece of speculation suggests that the new iPad might actually emerge as the 2S rather than getting the full-blown title of the iPad 3.
This would not be a total surprise, given that Apple usually upgrades its gadgets gradually over a couple of years rather than reinventing the wheel every 12 months. This rings true if you look at the life cycle of the various iPhone models, with the iPhone 4 shaking things up in 2010 while the iPhone 4S contained tweaked hardware but stuck with the same external aesthetic touches.
The iPad 3 (or 2S) is supposed to feature a higher-resolution touch screen display which copies the iPhone 4S Retina Display by increasing the pixel density without changing the actual size of the screen. There have been various rumours about what this resolution might be, with some suggesting it could be as high as 2048×1536. This would make it higher than full HD and allow web pages, videos, photos and apps to look better than ever before.
In terms of processing power, the iPad 3 will probably have a quad-core A6 chip to improve on the dual-core capabilities of the iPad 2. Given that most high-end Android tablets being released in 2012 will benefit from four physical processor cores, it seems certain that Apple will keep pace in its own way. A better camera is also anticipated, although according to a Chinese case manufacturer the iPad 3 will look almost identical to the iPad 2, albeit with a slightly chunkier frame.
The release of the iPhone 5 is likely to be some way off, with analysts anticipating that it will launch in the latter half of 2012. The iPhone 4S was considered to be something of a disappointment by many fans because it did not look any different to the iPhone 4 and only upgraded a few areas of the hardware rather than completely revolutionizing the range. Apple will probably make bigger changes for the iPhone 5 and there are the usual educated guesses floating around as to what the upgrades might include.
Top of the list of desirable features is a bigger display, because the iPhone 4S 3.5-inch screen looks puny when compared with the 4.65-inch unit found on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. A bigger screen would completely change the design of the handset and although Apple is only thought to be looking at displays of between 4 and 4.3 inches, this will still cause some major alterations.
The A6 processor found in the iPad 3 will probably make its way to the iPhone 5, giving it four cores of number-crunching strength. Of course, by this point Apple will be playing catch-up with its rivals in terms of hardware specs. However, this has rarely mattered in the past and both the iPad 3 and iPhone 5 are unlikely to be anything other than serious hits in 2012.
Shannen Doherty is a technical content writer. She is associated with many technology and designing communities including Broadband Expert as their freelance writer and adviser. In her free time she writes articles related to: internet, Comcast internet plans, technology mobile broadband, etc.
