Unreleased 'iPad 2' Spotted At The Daily Event

By Jennifer Saba and Gabriel Madway

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Spotted at Rupert Murdoch's splashy digital newspaper launch on Wednesday: a prototype of Apple's (AAPL.O) newest iPad.

A Reuters eyewitness saw what appeared to be a working model of the next iPad with a front-facing camera at the top edge of the glass screen at a press conference to mark the debut of News Corp's Daily online paper in New York on Wednesday.

A source with knowledge of the device confirmed its existence, adding that the final release model could have other features. News Corp and Apple declined to comment.

The next version of Apple's popular tablet computer is expected to be announced in the next few months.

Manufacturing sources have said it will sport two cameras -- one in the front and one in the back -- enabling users to make video calls.

News Corp (NWSA.O) Chairman Rupert Murdoch along with Apple executive Eddy Cue unveiled the Daily, a digital newspaper created from scratch for the iPad at a press conference in New York's Solomon R. Guggenheim museum.

The Daily is Apple's first foray into subscription sales through its iTunes store after having spent a year in talks with publishers with little progress.

The iPad was released in April 2010 and became one the hottest gadgets of the year.

The company sold 14.8 million iPads in 2010, and could double that this year, analysts estimated.

The 10-inch touchscreen device proved to be hugely popular as a media consumption device, good for games, video and Web browsing.

The iPad, which starts at $500, added more than $8 billion in sales for Apple last year and helped touch off a tablet-mania that is sweeping the technology business.

Nearly all of Apple's rivals are working on tablets, with dozens of models expected to hit the market this year, providing the iPad with its first real competition.

Companies such as Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), Dell (DELL.O), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ.N) and Acer Inc (2353.TW) are attacking the tablet market, with global sales expected to surge to more than 50 million units in 2011. (Reporting by Jennifer Saba and Brendan McDermid in New York, and Gabriel Madway in San Francisco. Editing by Kenneth Li and Robert MacMillan)

Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[GregCoyote]

04:44 PM on 02/07/2011

I have never used a electronic device as much as I have used my iPad. If it wasn't so, I would say, so what? As it is my main communication and entertainment device, I will be in line for the new one as well.

[Sunzuki]

06:11 AM on 02/05/2011

Ohh you mean this iPad has a front-facing camera? How astonishingly innovative, really this is truely unexpected. Their must have been a great reason for them not to have one in the first iPad and I am sure it had nothing to do with milking $$$ from the astute apple community.

[pachi72]

01:51 AM on 02/04/2011

iPad 2 will crush all tablets no matter how better they are, Galaxy Tab was garbage.

[trojoe]

05:18 PM on 02/03/2011

Someone saw an iPad 2? Good story.

[fjpoblam]

03:50 PM on 02/03/2011

To echo what I've seen elsewhere online regarding the Reuters snippet: no pic, no news. Period.

[Ben Stroud]

12:22 PM on 02/03/2011

A shabby daily on a new platfom.

[Brandon McCall]

11:02 AM on 02/03/2011

So.

[Hug An Ewok]

10:53 AM on 02/03/2011

An Apple a day... ; )

[Gene Hammett]

10:49 AM on 02/03/2011

I am looking forward to this release. I hope it is cheaper than the first version.

Gene Hammett
http://genehammett.wordpress.com/
www.plaxo.com/directory/profile/25769963662/38c6de24/Gene/Hammett

[J0E1]

10:48 AM on 02/03/2011

So it's true?  Apple isn't going to just stop at the original ipad?  They are going to improve their device?  This is mind blowing.  Tell me more.

[ChicagoBob]

09:42 AM on 02/03/2011

An unreleased iPad at a news conference.
A UFO over Jerusalem.

The sky is falling. The end is near.

[RedSquirrel]

09:26 AM on 02/03/2011

All this with no government subsidies

[CosgroveWatt]

09:42 AM on 02/03/2011

Clever. And how successful do you think Apple, Google, Facebook etc would be today without the Internet?

[SteveDenver]

09:07 AM on 02/03/2011

I have been an Apple user for over 25 years, but traded in my iPhone last year for Android… mostly to get the heck away from AT&T. Now that Android has figured out many ways to be Mac-friendly, I realize the missing bridge in my communications suite was direct Windows compatibility.

All I want for Xmas is an Android pad with phone and camera, but still a little smaller, please. Then I can carry just one gadget. Needed app: notes in the dark — a way to take notes without looking like I have a television in my lap at film screenings and theater previews.

[bryanzth]

09:29 AM on 02/03/2011

I remember Word for DOS that allowed either bright text on dark background or the standard dark letters on white background.

What other programs/computer applications have that "notes in the dark" feature?

Interesting.

BZ.

[JasonMcl]

11:22 AM on 02/03/2011

"Then I can carry just one gadget"

http://mediacenter.motorola.com/Press-Releases/Motorola-Mobility-and-AT-T-Announce-ATRIX-4G-the-Future-of-Mobile-Computing-353c.aspx

There is a one gadget solution now even if it isn't a tablet.

What I like about it is that it has a Linux (Debian) desktop environment installed with Firefox running, but you can also run your Android Apps in full screen with the keyboard and touchpad.

It has the largest battery in any smartphone now, the laptop dock has its own battery and it actually charges the phone while it is in the dock.

Even if the web-top just has a browser and a few cloud apps, you can run all of your regular Applications in full screen.

If they made it plug into a tablet it would probably be unstoppable. But I don't think I will mind the netbook.

The best part will be what the XDA chefs do with the Linux install. I don't doubt that they will eventually have open office, gimp and all kinds of other desktop software running.

[DaneAZ]

12:35 PM on 02/03/2011

It's nice to see Motorola back in the game.
Nice device!

[iamvalid]

09:04 AM on 02/03/2011

Finally! Someone to spread the gospel of Saint jobs.

[nevernot]

12:19 PM on 02/03/2011

At least someone's talking about jobs in the media, even if it isn't the right kind of job.

[ClarkOHrepub]

09:03 AM on 02/03/2011

It appears from comments this morning that the 'value' of the iPad depends on what you use it for.
On one hand you have an awsome graphical interface at the speed of light!
On the other, we see a business tool requiring extra effort and expense in running various business programs...IF you can get it in Apple compatability.
Its an amazing pop culture driver....and for that, I give it an A++ for its social engineering value.
But as a replacement for the laptop?  I find it hard to believe the business world, a vast majority of PC laptops sold, will move toward Apple. It all depends on what business that is.