Analysts said this week that Apple is readying the release of the sexier iPad but it will keep its 7-inch screen despite rumors of the updated version with a 9.7-inch viewing area.
A blog reported, “Yes, there will be a 7" tablet. Yes, it's well underway in terms of product development and in fact it's a finished product. Yes, five-plus different designs have been floating around to help Apple protect itself from people discovering its next product look and feel but … the final design will in fact bear more resemblance to the iPhone 4 stylings than the original iPad design."
Although Apple has not made it official, there’s growing confidence that the new iPad will debut in 2011 based on Apple’s history of annual announcements including a new iPhone every year since 2007 and a usual update to the iPod each September.
And a new, enhanced version of the iPad does makes sense for Apple considering mounting competition.
Reports last week said Dell will launch a 7-inch iPad competitor that runs on Google’s Andoid platform in the next few weeks and a 10-inch version is on the horizon.
Samsung also has a stake in the tablet arena with its Galaxy Tab as does RIM with the BlackBerry Playbook.
The newer tablets are likely to include user-friendly bells and whistles such as larger screens, dual cameras for video conferencing and the ability to run Flash that will undoubtedly keep Apple on its toes.