iPad 2: 1.2Ghz Dual Core CPU, 2 Cameras, No Retina Display, Anti-Reflective Screen?

Those Analysts just love to analyze don’t they? This time it’s Ming-Chi Kuo in a report for Concord Securities in Taiwan.
According to AppleInsider, this particular analyst is making some not-so bold predictions about what will and will not be found packed inside the yet unannounced iPad 2.

First up there’s the Retina Display, or rather the lack of it. According to the aforementioned report the iPad 2 will sport the same 1024×768 screen of its predecessor while incorporating a couple of improvements.

"The improvement of iPad 2 display," the report notes, "focuses on thickness and anti-reflection, not resolution. iPad 2 display module is 30~35% thinner than iPad 1 and it’s helpful for better form factor.
"Thanks to anti-reflection, iPad 2 could have better sunlight readable experience and it’s helpful for Apple to compete with Amazon’s fast growing Kindle business.
"The most important reason why iPad 2 won’t have retinal display is yield rate of panel making. At this point, making high resolution and bright IPS/FFS panel is not easy and the production volume and cost couldn’t meet Apple’s requirements."

The possibility of a high resolution display is one that has polarized both analysts and industry pundits alike. Many expect a mind-boggling resolution to grace the next generation iPad while the rest (some would say, realistic ones) believe it’s just not feasible if Apple want to hit that magic $499 price-point they love so much.

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Next the report moves onto what is expected to power the device, with a Cortex A9-based dual core processor being the order of the day.

"iPad 2 will use [ARM] Cortex-A9 dual core processor running at 1.2GHz. Increasing 1~2% single core processor clock results in a 3~5% power increase and dual core could get a better balance between computing power and power consumption. That’s the reason why Apple will use dual core for iPad 2."

Until recently a dual core 1.2GHz CPU in a tablet would have seemed overkill, but with BlackBerry’s PlayBook packing a similar punch it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Apple take the fight to the Canadian outfit.
Expect the RAM to see a bump to 512MB, the same as the iPhone 4 and double the current generation iPad too, says the report.  Multi-tasking and on-device video editing benefit greatly from the extra memory on the iPhone 4, so this move is a no-brainer for Apple.
When it comes to 3G chips, Ming-Chi Kuo believes separate GSM and CDMA models will be available while the WiFi only option will remain. No sign of a single-chip solution here, which could mean a similar setup for iPhone 5.
Other details include a dual-camera system similar to the iPod touch rather than iPhone 4 (Front camera is 0.3 mega-pixel and rear one is 1 mega-pixel) and the expected SD card slot.
The report ends with a prediction that around 5 million iPad 2s will be manufactured by Foxconn in the first quarter of 2011, along with a list of suppliers for individual parts. Whether any of this info is accurate remains to be seen, but much of it does tally with what many in the industry are expecting. Of course, we just don’t know whether this particular analyst has inside information or if he just agrees with everyone anyway!