You've heard it before: the next generation iPad (aka iPad 2) will probably feature at least one webcam. But now there's a pretty good reason to believe the rumors.
MacRumors has discovered three app icons for FaceTime, Camera and PhotoBooth in Apple's iOS 4.3 Beta 2 software kit, which was released to developers this week. These applications are designed specifically for use with a webcam. The Camera application takes photos, FaceTime allows iOS users to chat with one another via webcam, and PhotoBooth takes photos and offers fun editing options.
The presence of these app icons could confirm that the iPad 2 will come equipped with one, possibly two cameras.
However, MacRumors writes, "We still can't say for sure if there will be a back camera, as the camera app could possibly be used only for the front camera." Information Week points out that a rear-facing camera, in addition to a front-facing camera, is "a logical addition to the device."
Engadget reports that the first beta release of iOS 4.3 featured support for new multi-gesture functions that were not supported in the second beta. It's possible that the app icons spotted in iOS 4.3 beta 2 may never make it to the final release.
Apple is expected to announce the iPad 2 sometime in the spring of 2011. Read on for our ultimate guide to iPad 2 rumors, as well as recent speculation about the iPad 2's size and design.