Metal-Plated CDMA iPhone, 7-inch iPad, iOS Apple TV on the Way - Report

Citing Digitimes Research senior analyst Mingchi Kuo, Digitimes is reporting that Apple is set to roll out new iPads in Q1 2011, as well as CDMA iPhone produced by Pegatron Technology. The CDMA iPhone will reportedly boast a metal back plate and is expected to arrive early next year, with mass production commencing in December 2010.

According to researcher Mingchi Kuo, Apple is on track to launch an upgraded version of the 9.7-inch iPad boasting a new ARM Cortex-A9-based processor and 512MB RAM in the first quarter of 2011, alongside a smaller, 7-inch tablet employing the same processor and featuring an IPS panel with a resolution of 1024×768.

Pegatron Technology will supply the new CDMA iPhones to both US-based Verizon Wireless and China-based China Telecom, Kuo said. The researcher added that the CDMA iPhone's back plate will be forged from metal materials. Unlike the current iPhone 4, the new model will feature an integrated antenna, Digitimes Research said. Expected to drop at at CES 2011, the new CDMA iPhone is scheduled to ship in January 2011, according to the report.

Surprisingly, there’s more. The same source mentions a new Apple TV using AMD's Fusion solution which Apple plans on releasing in the coming months. The device will reportedly not include a hard drive, which suggests Apple will also need to rush the introduction of its rumored cloud-based iTunes. The new Apple TV will reportedly ship with a user interface akin to that of iOS devices, although the report doesn’t specifically mention the name of the operating system. The revamped Apple TV will offer support for social networking websites, network multimedia, and the App Store, Digitimes Research added. The device will also be mass produced starting this December, the report reveals.

Apple has been rumored for a while now to be planning the introduction of a new Apple TV as well as a cloud-based iTunes, two products that would solve the “go-to-market” problem faced by set-top-box providers today, including Apple.