14 DAY TRIAL // An iPad 2 listing has been briefly spotted at Amazon Germany, potentially revealing the technical specifications of Apple’s next-generation tablet.
Leaked by a person living in Germany, the screenshot displayed to the left indeed appears to indicate that Amazon already has the iPad 2 in stock and is waiting for Apple’s announcement to start selling the tablet.
In fact, the rushed advertisement would indicate Amazon managers are sitting on the edge of their seats to be the first retailer to offer immediate availability.
According to the screenshot (which, by the way, could have easily been photoshopped), Apple’s iPad 2 will boast the same 9.7-inch screen, a boost in processor speed to 1.2GHz (though its nature isn’t specified - A5? Dual-Core?), Wi-Fi and 3G wireless capabilities, a ‘camera’ (not two), bluetooth, and the Thunderbolt technology recently introduced in Apple’s new MacBook Pro computers.
Available March 17, the device looks identical to the original Apple iPad, at least in Amazon renderings, which only show the front of the device. No front camera can be spotted either, but the screenshot is admittedly low-res.
Now, Apple will most likely unveil a new iPad today, and the company may also not ship it immediately, but there is a good chance the specifications listed above are not accurate.
One camera is not enough, for example, and the image should have been slightly different - you can’t market a second generation device using the promo materials targeting the original.
The Thunderbolt port is also a bit of a stretch. While fast-data transfer is a priority for the MacBook Pro family, it isn’t clear how vital this would be for a tablet whose 30-pin dock connector has worked well for the original iteration.
Then again, Apple may finally be considering to open the iPad to more third-party devices.
As usual, such rumors must be taken with a bit of skepticism, at least until Apple makes the proper introductions at today’s event in San Francisco.
Softpedia will be sure to cover all the major announcement for its readers in a timely updated report set to go live later today.