Those waiting for the second generation of iPads to be released before jumping into the tablet world may have a target date to get ready for.  At least one Wall Street analyst believes that Apple will follow up its original iPad release with a newer version somewhere around the tablet's first anniversary, which would be April of 2011.  Although that is simply speculation for now, it is probably good enough to whet the appetite of many potential iPad owners.

Brian Marshall, a Wall Street analyst with Gleacher & Co., believes that the iPad will follow the iPhone's lead of releasing a subsequent generation of the device on or near an anniversary date.  As for the tablet's possible name for its sequel release, Marshall, among others, stated that it may carry the simple moniker of the “iPad 2.”     

With the possible release date of the iPad 2 now in the air, many now wonder what improvements or new features it will carry.  Marshall expects the iPad 2 to be extremely similar to the original, with one major addition.  Many consumers have complained about the iPad's lack of an integrated camera, which would allow for video chat through a program such as FaceTime.  To allow video chat capability, Marshall believes that the iPad 2 will come with dual cameras.  Possible evidence of this future inclusion comes from the current iPad's internal configuration.  Users have taken the original iPad apart in the past, and they noticed some interior space that would fit a front-facing camera perfectly.

Is the inclusion of dual cameras enough to sway many consumers into finally purchasing the iPad?  That depends on who you ask.  Some have held out on purchasing the original iPad to wait for the second generation to be released.  Simply adding camera functionality may not be enough, however, as there are other features that many expressed a desire to have.  Storage capacity is just one of those.  At this time, the iPad comes in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB configurations.  That capacity may be sufficient for most users, but some may want more to hold all their media and other data.  Marshall stated the the iPad 2 will likely not see any storage upgrades, however. 

Another feature that many people speculated upon with regards to future iPad generations was display size.  Some said that a 7-inch version of the iPad would be released, giving consumers a smaller option than the current 9.7-inch iPad.  Apple CEO recently struck down that notion, however, citing that a 7-inch tablet would be too small for many users to interact with comfortably.  One possible upgrade that will come with the iPad 2 is the ability for the tablet to run on both CDMA and GSM networks, giving world travelers enhanced connectivity options when necessary.

Regardless of what the next generation of iPads has to offer, many people will likely open their wallets to get their hands on one.  From the iPad's initial launch in April to the end of September 2010, Apple has sold approximately 7.5 million units of the tablet.  Marshall predicts the manufacturer will sell 6 million more before the year is over.

For more on this topic, visit: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9197421/Expect_iPad_2_from_Apple_next_April_says_analyst and http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20023409-260.html?tag=cnetRiver

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