Apple will announce the next generation of the iPad today. We’ll learn whether it is called the iPad 3 or the iPad HD. We’ll learn whether it will have a retina display (most likely 2048 x 1536 resolution at 264 ppi). We’ll learn whether the 3G model will also support the much faster LTE 4G. We’ll learn whether there is a better camera and whether it comes in a model with more than 64GB. We’ll learn whether the price will remain the same and whether Apple will keep selling the current iPad 2 for under $500. We’ll learn when it will go on sale. And perhaps Apple has some other new features up its sleeves that I’m not thinking of.
And that’s just the iPad hardware. We might also learn about a new operating system (iOS 5.1?) for the iPad and iPhone with new bells and whistles. We might hear about some new apps, such as perhaps an iPhoto app from Apple and perhaps Microsoft Office from Microsoft. If the new iPad does have a retina display, I expect that we will see demonstrations of some amazing-looking new apps that take advantage of the better screen. And we might see a new version of the Apple TV with new features for when you want to display content from your iPhone or iPad on a TV.
And who knows what else. Maybe we’ll see a 2.0 version of the Apple iPod Socks to bring compatibility to the iPhone and iPad. We’re in that magical time just before a big Apple announcement when anything seems possible.
All will be revealed when the event starts at 10 Pacific / 1 Eastern today. If you want to get live updates as the event unfolds, here are my recommendations for what I expect to be the best live coverage with links to the pages that will contain the updates once the event starts:
And if you want to laugh about it when it is over, it appears that the guys at the always-funny Scoopertino have something clever planned.
My guess is a tactile touchscreen.