Wednesday, Apple put out official invitations to the media for a Mar. 2 event that is expected to announce the Apple iPad 2, its second generation iPad.
The media event is scheduled to be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. A picture sent along with the invitation showed an icon of an iOS calendar with the March 2 date. The calendar was coming down in one corner to show an iPad screen, which confirmed the event was on the iPad.
This announcement verifies a rumor heard early in the week that Apple was going to hold a media event. They are expected to show off the new iPad 2, which is supposed to have faster hardware and a FaceTime camera.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of Concord Securities also put out that overseas locations could expect Apple’s partner, Foxconn, to manufacture between 4.5 and 5 million iPad 2 units during the 2011 first quarter. Then in April, they would send out another 3 or 4 million of them.
The analyst also put out that the iPad 2 will come with an upgraded with more improved anti-reflection capabilities, although not with a higher pixel density. The new unit is supposed to be thinner, weigh less, and have more RAM, a faster CPU, and better capabilities for processing graphics.
Out of the first batch, more than 60 percent of them are expected to be 3G-capable. Apple expects to make 3G models with both GSM and CDMA cellular radios — and possibly one that can support both technologies that would be a worldwide mode unit.
Some of the cases made by third party manufacturers have shown a place for an extra port on the side of the iPad2. Some have guessed that it could be for a Mini DisplayPort adapter, but with the evidence that is out saying Apple is getting ready to announce a new type of high-speed data port called “Thunderbolt,” it’s probably that that port will be used for both data and video connections.
Apple waited later in 2011 to put out the word about its next iPad. The first iPad was announced in January 2011. But the Wi-Fi-only model didn’t ship in the U.S. until April.
In its first year, the first iPad had unexpected success in sales, even with what Apple had expected. It topped 15 million units by the end of 2010. Apple officials admitted they were very surprised at how fast it went from the early honeymoon period and when it became a runaway hit.
The iPad2 isn’t even out yet, and there are already rumors about an iPad3. Some claim this iPad3 could come out as soon as September. That would let Apple give users a new product line to go with its new iPods right before the holiday spending season begins.
