iPad 2 Launching in April, According to Analyst

A yearly refresh for Apple products is expected. Even for something like the iPad, Apple's magical and revolutionary tablet device, which could probably be just fine on the market without seeing a hardware refresh so soon, people are already counting down the days until early 2011, when they expect Apple to come forward and announce a brand new tablet device. Rumors regarding the tablet, which range from featuring a Retina Display of its own, all the way to featuring a carbon fiber frame, help fuel the hype of the device, but according to a new report from analyst Brian Marshall, the iPad 2 may not be all that different from the first iteration, and we should expect to see it in April.

If the second generation iPad does launch in April, that would put it on course for a yearly refresh, much like we see with the iPhone and iPod line-up. No one is expecting anything different. But, what Marshall, of Gleacher & Co., is warning people, seems to paint a dull image of the next iPad. More precisely, Marshall believes that the new device will look, and feel, much like the previous version, and that many of the features will be the same as well. He doesn't make any mention of a Retina Display, or any one of the othe rumors about the device.

Except for that front-facing camera, along with another camera on the back. Marshall is convinced that the new iPad will feature a dual-camera set-up this time around. It's been pointed out in the past that the original iPad featured space at the top of the bezel, on the front, to include a camera, but obviously Apple must have felt that a camera on the first generation tablet device wasn't necessary. But, now that FaceTime is up and running, with people enjoying it all over the place, it would make sense to have the same feature on the tablet device.

Marshall also suggests that Apple won't switch around the storage capacity, either. He believes that the second generation iPad will feature the same 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB models. He doesn't make mention of pricing, though. So, if Marshall is correct, and the iPad 2 launches in April, with hardly any differentiating features from the first iteration, the question is pretty simple: how well will it sell? Considering the original iPad is still on track for seeing huge sales this holiday season, it will certainly be an interesting first half of 2011 for Apple.

[via ComputerWorld]