Hidden Code in iOS 5 Contains Interesting iPad 3 References

They’ve done it again. The folks over at 9to5Mac have uncovered some interesting information hidden deep within the code of iOS 5. The site has exposed several secret features in the new software by code-digging over the last few months — including Siri.

Its recent find pertains to an unreleased Apple product, codenamed J2. The site believes that this could actually be the next version of the iPad. Not only that, but it thinks that this could be the Retina display-equipped tablet everyone has been talking about…
Apparently, the J2 codename matches up with a recent report from Digitimes, which also names a J2 device as Apple’s next tablet.

“Since Apple demands that the new iPad model will need to be thinner than the iPad 2, while raising the machine’s screen resolution to 2048 by 1536, upstream component makers have been working aggressively to adjust the device’s LED and panel module designs to satisfy these demands, but the work has affected the launch schedule fo the new tablet PC. Apple is currently giving two tablet PC projects codenamed J1 and J2 to its upstream partners for development. The sources revealed that the major differences of the new tablet PCs compared to the previous model are their size, specifications and technologies.”

9to5Mac believes that J1 and J2 are similar tablets, with the latter being the 3G model. It also thinks that Apple is already testing the device, as it has been referenced in iOS 5 since the early betas.

We’ve heard rumors that Apple was working on an iPad with a Retina-like quality screen before, but this is the first time we’ve seen any kind of evidence. However, it still sounds like Apple and its supply partners are struggling to produce the hi-res displays.

Due to manufacturing limitations, it’s possible that Apple could have to choose between an iPad with a Retina display that is slightly thicker than its predecessor, or a thinner tablet with a lower screen resolution. Which one would you rather see next year?