Exclusive: Apple iPad 2 Event Set for March 2

February 22, 2011 at 10:00 am PT

To those who care intensely about this kind of stuff–which would be pretty much everyone in the tech ecosystem–Apple will hold its much-anticipated event on March 2, where the tech giant seems poised to unveil a new version of its hugely successful iPad, according to multiple sources.

As in, iPad 2! Or, as BoomTown is now officially nicknaming it: iPad Too!

Analysts expect the iPad 2 to be thinner than its predecessor and feature an improved display, as well as front-facing camera and Facetime video chat support. And some reports suggest it will be powered by one of Qualcomm’s multimode chips and will run on both GSM and CDMA-based networks around the world.

In its last earnings calls, Apple said it had sold nearly 15 million iPads, since it went on sale last spring.

This is a very big deal, although Apple will be facing increased competition with the launch of a passel of tablets coming from numerous manufacturers, most of which are using the Honeycomb version of Google’s Android mobile operating system.

According to several sources close to the situation, the Wednesday date in a little more than a week is firm and will take place in San Francisco, the scene of many such Apple events.

In that case, the venue is likely to be the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

It’s not clear when Apple will begin sending out its famous invites for the gathering, but I am guessing soon, in order to get the Apple faithful to the proper level of froth.

(The image above is from one of my favorite previous save-the-dates.)

Now that this date is confirmed–at least by me!–the next round of speculation will be around whether Apple CEO Steve Jobs will appear or not. Sources said he is considering it.

He is currently on leave to deal with ongoing health issues, although has been sighted all around Silicon Valley at various places. In addition, Jobs sat right next to President Barack Obama at a high-profile meet-the-tech-moguls dinner in the area last week.

In other words: Let the media frenzy begin!

Tagged with: Android, Apple, Barack Obama, BoomTown, California, camera, CDMA, Chat, chip, competition, digital, dinner, earnings, ecosystem, event, FaceTime, gathering, Google, GSM, hardware, Honeycomb, Internet, iPad, iPad 2, Kara Swisher, network, operating system, Qualcomm, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Steve Jobs, tablet, venue, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

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http://pulse.yahoo.com/_47XHGLZVO6IUYLMWVUYFVN5LQU Dr No

Strange that in the same day we go from rumors of a delay in the iPad 2 release to a report that it will be shown to the public next week. Can anyone say “stock manipulation”?
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_C7O5JPQLMUZDQOWSEN5DOUIYQI RyanL

I agree. Great time to buy.
http://www.neave.com/ Paul Neave

Source?
Anonymous

“care”
Anonymous

The only specification I care for at this point is Retina display. I hope the rumours are true.
https://www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawng5U2fCcW3MI6--vhrExtfHZQWVvzqUo0 ian

[citation needed]
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=635900830 Peter Stelman

I’m looking forward to it, whenever it is. The first iPad has been a great tool for me — well worth the money, and I’ll certainly buy the next one with its enhanced capabilities. Oh, and my wife wants one too this time. (She’s loving the iPhone that she “didn’t need”.)
Anonymous

Honestly, I would be more glad seeing Steve back on stage in shape than I’m interested in the iPad 2. Hope he’s recovering well… Since this message is semi-official due to the Jobs-Mossberg connection :D … my hopes are for 2nd… a Stevenote without Steve is just not the same.
http://openid-provider.appspot.com/giosan83 Santino83

I hope iPad 2 will ship with two cameras, front and rear, a better display (the last one was wonderful, but times change and new products have better displays), and Apple did a great job, or Android and its houndred of devices will conquer the world with even less problems
MarcusMaximus

Mobsberg knows best
Anonymous

Probably Walt
Anonymous

My hunch is that if there is to be a new improved display it won’t mean higher resolution but instead a display that will work better in direct sunlight. Increasing the resolution would hurt the battery and also hurt app support (unless it was increased all the way up to match the iPhone specs). Reducing glare on the other hand might be as simple as sticking on a filtering layer. I may of course be absolutely wrong :)
Anonymous

Probably Walt
Anonymous

Those rumors were baseless and were turned down by multiple sources!
https://www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawkUGpYtPMWdmV0incYOnOZUE1KXkEmb2qs Charmed Quark

The comment that pretty much everyone in the tech ecosystem cares intensely about the ipad2 just serves to show how in love with Apple a lot of the tech media is.
Anonymous

lol, wow I dont think I can hardly wait! Its gonna be good!

http://www.complete-privacy.tk
Anonymous

Or how important, influential, and attention getting (page views) Apple is….
Anonymous

The rumors are no Retina Display this time.
Anonymous

A March unveiling of iPad 2 has been expected for 14 months now, since Steve Jobs said in January 2010 that iPad would ship in March 2010. Since iOS devices always have a 1 year refresh, it is hardly controversial to expect iPad 2 in March 2011.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jesus-Sancho/100001226857302 Jesús Sancho

Great!
http://www.damyhealth.com David Duizer

So excited about this! I’m sure we’ll be able to watch the reveal online?
Anonymous

Even an Apple competitor cares about iPad 2. Tech media aren’t any more in love with Apple than the average person, which is to say a lot. Apple has earned it.
Anonymous

It is more strange that rumors of a delay in iPad 2 happen during the week of the Motorola XOOM launch.
zato

“serves to show how in love with Apple a lot of the tech media is.”
Gee, I’m sorry the “Tech Media” isn’t as “in love” with your choice of computer/OS.
But don’t worry, it’s about page views, and Apple stories get page views. From those who like Apple products, and from the gamer/haters and creeps like you who come to leave their turds in the comments.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Felipe-Kiedes/748439491 Felipe Kiedes

And it changes everything… All over again!
http://www.facebook.com/ecantera Eugene Cantera

flash??? anyone??
Anonymous

don’t hold your breath.
http://www.facebook.com/ecantera Eugene Cantera

bummer – surely they see that need?
Anonymous

“bummer – surely they see that need?”

Sorry Eugene there is NO need for Flash.

Unless, you like charging/changing batteries incessantly Or you are in love with the 90% of Flash-based content which is ADS.

Or you are one of those people that LOVE dealing with OS crashes caused by the buggy, resource hog aka Flash.
People with a modicum of intelligence don’t need/curse at Flash ads/crashes daily

Ayuh
http://www.facebook.com/ecantera Eugene Cantera

whoa…must have struck a nerve. all i know is other tabs support it – guess that’s where my $ will go
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1414202721 Phillip Huang

battery drain is typically associated with screen size rather than resolution. The app resolution increase could be handled the same way as they did with the iPhone 4′s Retina. What CAN be the problem however is the drain on CPU and GPU processes.
http://allthingsd.com/boomtown Kara Swisher

we don’t do rumors at atd.
http://twitter.com/matthewfabb matthewfabb

I have Flash Player 10.1 on a Droid 2, with no noticable battery drain. It’s set to “on demand” so that Flash content only activates when I want it to (so no annoying ads). It runs pretty smoothly, the browser has never crashed on me and I’ve yet to see any security issues for mobile Flash.

It’s great when coming across Flash content, rather than bookmarking a site to see later on a desktop like I know some iPad users do.
http://twitter.com/maximus808 Wayne Higa

Waiting for the invites for confirmation ;)
Anonymous

Zero chance of two cameras. Using the iPad as a camera to shoot photos would be like using a shovel to swat flies.

For the record, I’m a professional photographer and I love my iPad.
Anonymous

Apple has sold 15 million iPads, some 50+ million iPhones (as of April 2010), and 45+ million iPod Touches (as of September 2009). These 110 million devices were sold without Flash.

I can’t imagine how Apple could see a need for Flash on iOS devices.
Anonymous

I’m taking Kara’s word over Yuanta’s and booking my flight now. Not even waiting for the invitation.
Anonymous

I’ll try not to be a pedantic jerk about this.

No, after a year of using the iPad and several years using my iPhone, I don’t see the need if it hurts the performance of my device even a tiny bit. I hope Adobe can finally come up with a version of Flash that Apple will find acceptable. I have yet to see such a beast. Flash still crashes too much on my dual Xeon Mac Pro with 16 gigs of RAM.
Anonymous

ATD ? Gizmodo :D
http://diamondpriceinfo.com Daniel Nicolas

I am really looking forward to this release – hopefully a thinner ipad with better battery and more RAM is in store. I’ve held off buying one because second revisions in consumer electronics usually makes a good step forward while maybe even coming down on the price.
Anonymous

iPad 2 = fail, already talk of iPad 3. Seems like this can’t compete with what’s just around the corner from RIM and Driod
Anonymous

Hahah, you aren’t serious are you? This is ATD at the WSJ
Anonymous

No one still, apparently
Anonymous

I’d love a comparison if you have one
https://www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawkUGpYtPMWdmV0incYOnOZUE1KXkEmb2qs Charmed Quark

In this short article, the following phrases appear:

“the tech giant seems poised…according to multiple sources”, “Analysts expect the iPad 2…”, “And some reports suggest…”, “According to several sources close to the situation…”

and you claim you don’t do rumors? You can see why people make accusations, surely.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=692271649 Luis Eduardo Gutierrez

This thing better change tablets all over again if it is to hold its ground with those Android devices. This will be big!
Anonymous

Never.
Anonymous

Adobe has delayed releasing the Xoom with Flash, apparently out of fear that the reduction in battery life and generally clunkiness of Flash would create a bad impression of the first Honeycomb-equipped tablet. (The acknowledgment there will be no Flash is in small print in the ads and site placeholders.)

Many of us have watched Android phones try to run Flash and are unimpressed.

And, as a factual matter, since there is no way to disable Flash for page elements on those phones, you do watch Flash ads.
Rice

The back camera is not completely necessary, in my mind, but could be handy occasionally.
http://enrique-gutierrez.com nrek

Note to the author: “To those who care intensely about this kind of stuff–which would be pretty much everyone in the tech ecosystem”… I wouldn’t go as far as to label an Apple Drone in the “tech ecosystem”, nor presume everyone in real tech gives two squats about the iPad 2. That said, the iPad 1 does the 3 things I use it for just nicely, if it wasn’t given to me, I’d never buy one – nor endorse this product to anyone. So perhaps I’m biased.

Exclusive: Apple iPad 2 Event Set for March 2

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