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“A version of the tablet device with a built-in video camera and support for the new FaceTime video conferencing standard has already progressed to the advanced testing stages, according to a person with proven knowledge of Apple’s future product plans,” Hughes and Jade report. “Though the inaugural fleet of iPads has seen surprising momentum that’s kept them out of a supply-and-demand balance since April, their FaceTime-equipped successors are said to be tracking for an introduction no later than the first quarter of next year.”
Hughes and Jade report, “That person familiar with the company’s plans claims that as of last month, there was an ambitious push inside Apple to verify the refresh for a possible launch ahead of this year’s holiday shopping season.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The sooner, the better. The first three things that “average” (non-techie) people ask about when they see our iPhone 4 units are: FaceTime, FaceTime, and FaceTime.
As early adopters, we’ll simply sell our current iPads and apply the proceeds towards new ones. We would not give up the months we’ve already spent with our first-gen iPads for anything.
Looks like Apple might soon address my one complaint and reason for not buying a first generation iPad. Once the iPad has facetime, I’m purchasing it immediately. (Hopefully this rumor is accurate.)
If they release them any sooner than early next year it will be an insult for the early adopters who’ve driven the success of the product.
So glad I held off.. As tempting as it is to give in, history has proven that it’s always best to wait at least 6 months before buying a “brand” new Apple product.. Quick revisions and/or price cuts are almost a given.
“possible launch ahead of this year’s holiday shopping season”
This confirms what my gut has been telling me for almost 2 months. It makes so much sense for Apple to update the iPad hardware around November. And then Steve Jobs mentioned last week that the iPad was getting HDR photos in November, which would require the iPad to have a camera in November.
A front facing camera, and maybe more RAM, are some of the only hardware advantage the (future) iPad competitors have going for them. If Apple comes out with the iPad 2, with front and back cameras, FaceTime, 512 MB of RAM, before the holiday season, it will completely crush any supposed competition. I’m already skeptical any of the future competitors will gain much of the table market, but with a new iPad, it will literally be like the Kin release. All the competitors will be DOA.
Imagine this linup:
iPad v1 starts at $400
iPad v2 starts at $500 (with cameras, FaceTime, and twice the RAM)
New iPod touch starts at $229
That right there will be a bloodbath for the holiday season.
Now imagine if Apple can put the RetinaDisplay in the iPad 2. That’s quite a few pixels, and might require a beefier GPU, but it would be awesome.
A better use of time would be getting the iPhone to other US carriers.
Lots of people will pay $500 for a device that let’s you video-chat with an image as good as FaceTime.
There’s a huge market for video chatting with families back home.
Lots of shops catering to immigrant populations sell crappy home “videoconferencing” phones for around the $350. Image quality sucks.
@kcwookie
You’re being silly. Everyone knows in this industry changes come quickly and often.
Obviously the early adopters weren’t all that hung up on a camera being a must have item.
I only bought the iPad last week, and already it has proven indispensable. If I return it, it would only be to upgrade to the new version. I hope it happens,
And then Steve Jobs mentioned last week that the iPad was getting HDR photos in November, which would require the iPad to have a camera in November…….
Huh? I listened to the keynote and I didn’t hear that.
@MikeK
But then you only have 6 months of use till the next refresh. Let’s face it. The sooner you buy it the more time you’ll have use of it.
The iPad was the first Apple product I bought on the first day and haven’t regretted it. I’ll be in line for the next one.
Another example, I bought my wife a MacBook and then the next month Apple updated it. That’s what I get for waiting 11 months. (I was not privy to Apple’s refresh cycles. My bad.)
If the reason for not buying immediately is because you can wait, then that’s a valid reason (because if you can wait it means you dont need it). But if you need it then waiting for a price decrease or a new update just doesn’t make sense.
I think Apple should wait till next year. I can wait.
just my 2 cents.
A better use of time would be getting the iPhone to other US carriers…….
kcwookie. You’re still being silly. What, do you think the same people who design Apple’s products also negotiate carrier deals?
I’m sure Apple can walk and chew gum at the same time.
For all of you who didn’t catch the HDR photos coming to iPad in November.
@ kcwookie RE:
“If they release them any sooner than early next year it will be an insult for the early adopters who’ve driven the success of the product.”
How would this be an insult? Your iPad won’t change a bit and that’s what you get for getting a first generation product from any manufacturer. This would be nothing but a positive for consumers. And it will put their “competitors” at a major disadvantage because they won’t be able to flaunt not having video cam functionality as a disadvantage for the iPad. Kudos to Apple (and a very good move on their part if said rumor is true…)
There’s no way Apple is going to refresh the iPads before the end this year. Apple is locked down for Christmas now, and we won’t see any new hardware products.
I’m expecting a new iPad with camera, but my guess is that it wouldn’t be available until after March, 2011.
Very interesting, our APR rep almost let slip that a new camera equipped iPad was on the way soon. When I picked him up on it he said “January” but after this rumour, and that thing from Steve at the keynote (which I admit I missed the first time) I’m wondering if I should delay my iPad purchase…
YES!!!! This is exactly why I decided to wait…….for the front face camera. Getting a better display and FaceTime compatibility will be bonuses.
For once, patience pays off.
Android/Chrome tablet makers try to freeze iPad purchases.
Video at 11 o’clock.
Whenever it comes out, I’ll be getting it. I’m just not the type to buy the first iteration of anything. I’ve been spending a lot of time with one that a colleague at work has and at the local Apple Store. I don’t *need* one as I have a MBP for work but I definitely want one for myself and the family at home and for vacations and weekend getaways. I don’t like having to take a laptop around for those kinds of occasions. Camera would be really nice.
“everything you saw here to the iPad” Hmmmm, sounds like everything is coming to the iPad “later THIS year” – and Steve then clarified “later this year” as November.
If there is a new iPad with Face Time capabilities then I will purchase several iPad 2 64GB WiFi 3G for me and my family and my employees. This is very good.
To be frank, (but I’m not Frank) we (the purchasing masses) have no idea as to when the next iteration of the iPad will surface, but when it does, I will pre-order my ass off! And call a friend to make a corporate purchase.
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It’s not going to happen before end of 2010. Apple is only now reaching the level of production needed to meet demand for the current iPad models. Apple will continue producing the current iPad to meet the even higher demand during the holidays.
The only thing that would motivate Apple to release a new iPad earlier than “early 2011” is competition. There is no competition.
> their FaceTime-equipped successors are said to be tracking for an introduction no later than the first quarter of next year.
Since iPad was introduced and went on pre-sale during the first quarter of this year, that’s basically a 12-month cycle. The next iPad will probably go on sale either in late March or early April, depending on which quarter Apple wants the initial “surge” of new iPad revenue to fall.
Now all Apple needs to do is incorporate IOS Facetime functionality in Macbooks and iMacs and that will be a wrap for verizon, google, microsquish and any other company.
I don’t think I have used any piece of electronics as much as I’ve used my iPad in the last 6 months. My PlayStation 3, at one third the price, hasn’t received one hundredth the amount of use that my iPad has seen.
I don’t know if I’ll be running out to buy the upgraded version as quick as I did this one. Not until I know more people with face time enabled devices. The kids will definitely be getting the upgraded iPod Touches either for Christmas or their birthdays!
@ ken1w RE:
“The only thing that would motivate Apple to release a new iPad earlier than “early 2011″ is competition. There is no competition.”
There’s one more thing… competition (as you state), and holdouts like me! When I heard early on that the iPad has a section within it that looks like space for a cam, I wanted to wait for that cam to come to fruition. I am sure there are plenty of people like me who are technically literate and have been holding out on their iPad purchase for this kind of functionality. It’s only going to make the iPad a (much) larger phenomenon that it already is and solidify Apple as kind of tablets. The sooner the better!
*king of tablets (hehe)
To the waiters:
Yes, the next generation iPad will be awesomer. We can speculate that it will have more RAM, a camera (or two) and FaceTime. It may also have more storage and other enhancements.
But…
When the new iPad gets released, your old iPads will still retain their value. Take a look at the retail price you paid and the used price you’ll get and divide that by the number of months.
What you’ll find is that the more months you have it, the less it costs per month.
There’s that whole Revision 1 myth that refuses to die. So many people wait based on this myth and often it ends up not being in their best interest.
Some classic cases in point:
Apple has never really revised a specific model of iPhone. The did once make a baseband hardware change that ironically made the 2nd revision worse (if you cared about jailbreaking). Other than that, each model has been unrevised until discontinued.
To add to this, each model of iPhone could be sold used for more than the retail price if you sold it as soon as the new model came out.
Now the iPhone has benefits from the subsidy and contract that make buying it on day 1 more worthwhile, but in general, the consumer devices from Apple make sense to buy on day one rather than wait, and the iPad certainly won’t be an exception to that.
Personally, I like it this way. I always get the iPhone on day one, and got the iPad on day one (with 3G). Whatever the new iPad has, I know it only has to be worth a few bucks for me to upgrade because I can sell my current one so easily.