Component Manufacturers Rolling Out iPad 2 Parts

Maybe Elton John was right.

One day after the pop star announced plans to buy the iPad 2 in April, the Wall Street Journal reported that industry sources say Apple has started manufacturing the new version of its iPad tablet computer with a built-in camera and faster processor.

Apple's next-generation iPad will have a smaller frame but the same size touch screen with more memory and a more powerful graphics processor, making the device lighter and as visually viable as the current version, the sources said.

In recent months the iPad rumors have hit warp speed with a myriad of parts manufacturers rolling iPad pieces off the assembly lines. In December iPadNewsDailyreported that manufacturer Foxconn had begun preparing shipments of the iPad 2, and that Apple had selected Coretronic as the backlight supplier for the device's LCD display. Genius Electronic is also said to have started manufacturing cameras and lenses that will support the dual camera iPad 2.

In fact, as Apple continues to cobble together its component manufacturers for the iPad 2, the suppliers are shedding light on what we can expect from the next generation iPad.

As iPadNewsDaily reported, after a filing by Largan Precision with the Taiwan Stock Exchange showed the lens maker extended production of optical lens modules for tablet PC applications and began shipping limited amounts of its 5-megapixel models, rumors were rampant the work was commissioned by Apple for the iPad.

The ramping up of component manufacturers also led to reports that Apple is planning to offer three versions of its next-gen iPad each with alternate ways of connecting to the Internet.

That move would likely signal Apple’s efforts to attract more consumers by providing diverse connection options including combinations of Wi-Fi and the 3G wireless standards of UMTS and CDMA.

However, the Wall Street Journal citing unnamed sources said the new iPad will initially be available through Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc., but not Sprint Nextel Corp. or T-Mobile USA in the U.S.

The iPad 2 could land in stores as early as March even possibly launch the same week in April or May when Research In Motion (RIM) is expected to finally deliver its tablet – the Blackberry PlayBook.

Apple has sold 14.8 million iPad since it was released in April 2010, contributing $4.6 billion in overall sales, according to the company.

However, However, Google’s Android software helped tablet makers take a bite out of Apple's iPad overall market share in the slate computing space, claiming an impressive 22 percent of sales in the fourth quarter, up from the 2.3 percent the previous quarter, market researcher Strategy Analytics said.

 

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