Top 10 features Apple should bring to the iPad 3
What we want to see in the forthcoming tablet
With just a few weeks until Apple is expected to unveil the next version of its iPad tablet, V3 has drawn up a list of the some of the key features we would like to see brought to the device.
With Apple facing its first serious threat in the tablet market in the form of the Asus Transformer Prime, which recently trounced the iPad 2 in our head-to-head review, the firm no doubt has several tricks up its sleeve to wow the punters and reclaim its number one position.
What's more, when the device is unveiled, rumoured to be in early March, it will be interesting to see how the firm's development and design credentials have evolved since the death of Steve Jobs last October.
10. iOS 5.1 with Siri and Flash
Apple has a habit of launching devices with fresh software and it wouldn't be surprising to see iOS 5.1 debut on the iPad 3. We would hope to see this include Siri and support for Adobe Flash.
Siri is the personal voice activated assistant that was launched with the iPhone 4S and allows smartphone users to dictate emails and text messages as well as set appointments and reminders. The software is also able to answer questions by searching the internet, and provided us with much amusement with some of its comical answers too.
Additionally, although HTML5 is now accepted as the standard for web browsing, almost all websites have yet to make the transition and still use Adobe Flash to display video content.
Despite all the good points of the iPad, nothing is more frustrating than trying to view a video on a site only to be greeted with the "Please download Adobe Flash" message.
It looks like it is going to take a miracle for Flash to make it onto the iPad 3, especially as the software firm announced it would stop developing the plug-in for Android-based devices. However, we can but hope.
Top 10 features Apple should bring to the iPad 3
What we want to see in the forthcoming tablet
9. Add a micro-SD card slot
The lack of any removable storage has always been one of the problems with the iPad range as it means that users have always had to connect the tablet to a PC or Mac to move content.
Apple has gone some way towards reducing the iPad's dependence on iTunes by allowing users to sync content wirelessly between devices through iCloud. But this still requires an internet connection to function properly.
Nothing beats being able to transfer content quickly between devices using a memory card, especially when you're on the move and syncing with iCloud or a PC/Mac is not possible. We want to believe that Apple, deep down, feels the same way.
8. Include NFC functionality
The iPhone 4S was widely tipped to come with near field communication (NFC) functionality but Apple pulled this from the specification due to concerns about the lack of infrastructure in place. Since the launch of the 4S, there have been a number of devices that now boast NFC functionality.
The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the most high-profile and has made good use of NFC, with its Android Beam content sharing feature.
It would be interesting to see how NFC would be used on the iPad 3 - as we can't really imagine that you'd pay for your lunch at Pret by tapping it at the checkout.
However, we're sure that Apple would come up with some interesting ideas and with the technology only set to grow in use it wouldn't be the biggest surprise to see it included in the new device.
7. Quad-core processor and more RAM
We fully expect Apple to beef up the iPad 3 with a chipset to rival the Nvidia 1.3GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor that is included within many Android tablets.
The iPad range has always had very smooth performance when compared to its Google-based rivals, and putting a quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM inside the iPad 3 would make the device faster than Usain Bolt.
Enhanced specifications are likely to improve other features too, such as multi-tasking, as well as boosting the internet and gaming experience.
Top 10 features Apple should bring to the iPad 3
What we want to see in the forthcoming tablet
6. Revamped 8in model with Retina display
Although nothing is confirmed until the launch of the iPad 3, the internet is buzzing with rumours that Apple has cut the size of the display. The screen size being touted around the rumour mill is 8in and this is plausible for a number of reasons.
Firstly, Apple is expected to port over the much lauded Retina display from the iPhone 4S to the iPad 3. However, enhancing the resolution to this level on the 9.7in display will no doubt add a substantial amount to an already costly device.
By reducing the screen size, Apple will be able to offer users an enhanced viewing experience without adding too much to the price.
Furthermore, with the design of the iPad due a refresh, the easiest way to make the iPad 3 look significantly different from previous models is to change the screen size. And with late Apple chief Steve Jobs declaring 7in devices "dead-on-arrival", 8in is as small as the firm is likely to go.
5. Include a Thunderbolt port
The high-speed connectivity that was introduced in the latest MacBook Air range allows users to transfer data much faster than before. Thunderbolt allows data to move at 10Gbit/s in both directions.
This makes it up to 20 times faster than the commonly used USB 2.0 interface and up to 12 times faster than with FireWire 800.
Although mainly restricted to Apple devices, Thunderbolt is set to make an appearance in the forthcoming Acer Aspire S5 ultrabook and could be standard on machines much like USB. We would be surprised if this wasn't included in the iPad 3.
Top 10 features Apple should bring to the iPad 3
What we want to see in the forthcoming tablet
4. Better camera components
One of the major new elements Apple touted with the iPad 2 was the inclusion of both front and rear facing cameras - components clearly missing from the first version of the product.
However, V3 thinks it is fair to say users were underwhelmed by the quality of the snaps, which lack the high-quality finesses of some of the more basic smartphones on the market. The iPad's cameras are not a patch on the iPhone's hugely impressive snapper either.
While the use of a camera on a tablet is perhaps not its core functionality, it is a disappointment to pay all that money and still be forced to revert to your smartphone whenever you want to a grab a quick shot, so hopefully Apple will rectify this soon.
3. Add 4G support for superfast mobile broadband browsing
While 4G networks are not yet in place in the UK they are springing up in locations across the globe, with the US market in particularly seeing numerous rollouts of networks that can enable high-speed services.
As such, it would be no surprise if Apple were to include the ability for the iPad 3 to run on LTE networks, and would help ensure the tablet was keeping pace with some of its core rivals, such as the Galaxy Tab 10.1 from Samsung which has LTE capabilities in the US market.
What's more, while UK 4G networks may be over a year away, those that do splash what is like to be close to £500, if not more, on the device, will be happy to know it's future-proofed for the next evolution of the mobile internet.
Top 10 features Apple should bring to the iPad 3
What we want to see in the forthcoming tablet
2. Keyboard docking accessory as with the Asus Transformer Prime
Using the touch screen keyboard on tablets such as the iPad is a slow and frustrating affair, and although Bluetooth keyboards are available, none of them are able to provide the cohesive experience of the hybrid Asus Transformer Prime.
V3 would love to see Apple offer a proper dock for the iPad 3, as it would be invaluable for use in conferences and meeting to type notes, could potentially extend battery life and would almost certainly remove the need to carry around a laptop ever again.
Apple chief executive Tim Cook has already hinted the firm will address the needs of users who want an ARM-based MacBook Air so there is hope that such a dock will be created.
1. Guarantee a portion of profits go to Foxconn employees
Apple's use of Foxconn employees to assemble its shiny gadgets has always been an issue, with mass suicide threats and explosions at the plant causing headlines around the world, and in recent weeks this scrutiny has increased yet again.
Apple has moved to counteract the criticism by announcing the start of an independent investigation by the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and threatened to stop working with suppliers who use child labour.
To further reassure customers questioning the ethical issues with the productions of the devices, the firm should consider promising to pass on a guaranteed portion of the profit of each device back to the workers who make them.