Apple May Preview iOS 5 at Next Week’s iPad 2 Event

"Engineering issues" are believed to have affected the original specifications of Apple’s iPad 2, though the tablet is still on track at least for its March 2 introduction, where a preview of iOS 5 may well be showcased as well.

Citing sources that have been dead accurate on such Apple rumors in the past, tech site Engadget is hearing that iPad 2 is thinner, and more powerful processor-wise.

The tablet allegedly comes equipped with a new A5 CPU, and 512MB of RAM to bring it up to par with the powerful iPhone 4.

It is not clear whether the blog also drew information regarding the tablet’s camera(s), but it does believe that the front-facing sensor is pretty much a certainty.

However, a back-facing camera for pictures and video is also very likely.

Finally, it is believed an iOS 5 alongside an updated Software Development Kit (SDK) will be previewed at Apple’s confirmed March 2 event.

Some may be reluctant to believe this will be the case, since iOS 4.3 is the big coming attraction, but it’s certainly not far fetched.

In fact, should the iPad 2 be less than a major overhaul, Apple will most certainly need the iOS 5 preview to keep the press talking.

The Thunderbold MacBooks are out as well, leaving only the iPad 2 as the centerpiece of Wednesday’s event.

The likelihood of Apple introducing the fifth major version of its mobile operating system is also backed by Engadget’s belief that the Summer debut of the iPhone 5 will be the perfect time and place to launch the final version of iOS 5.

As with the Mac OS X Lion preview announced just yesterday, major iOS releases generally get the same treatment.

The iPad 2 event will take place at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco on March 2, at 10:00 a.m.