I don’t know about anyone else, but just seeing the word “rumor” at this point makes me cringe. It seems like we saw enough gossip regarding Apple’s latest tablet over the last few months to write a novel. Or at least several chapters of one.
But was it really worth it, reporting each new rumor nearly every day? How much of the gossip ended up materializing? And how much of it didn’t pan out? We answer these questions, and more, inside…
What the rumor mill got right
The chatter surrounding Apple’s new iPad was actually pretty accurate. Especially when you compare it to the gossip we heard leading up to Apple’s fall iPhone event last year. Here’s what the rumor mill got right:
What the rumor mill got right
The chatter surrounding Apple’s new iPad was actually pretty accurate. Especially when you compare it to the gossip we heard leading up to Apple’s fall iPhone event last year. Here’s what the rumor mill got right:
■The look – As expected, the third-generation iPad looks extremely similar to its predecessor. It appears that the component leaks we saw last month of a rear aluminum shell were indeed from Apple’s new tablet.
■The display – We heard several rumors suggesting that the next iPad would feature a Retina display. And sure enough, on Wednesday, Apple unveiled a new slate with a Retina screen. We even knew the exact resolution ahead of time: 2048 x 1536.
■The processor - Even though earlier rumors pointed to Apple using its quad-core A6 processor in the third iPad, we saw increasing evidence over the past two weeks that Apple would be using a modified dual-core A5 instead: the A5X. Nailed it.
■Wireless capabilities – Unlike most other rumors, speculation around whether or not the new iPad would include LTE technology was a bit inconsistent. But reports from Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal and Reuters practically confirmed it. And sure enough.
■Event date - The predictions we heard from multiple sources that Apple would unveil its new tablet in the first week turned out to be dead-on. They even got the date right: March 7th.
Other rumors regarding the tablet’s pricing and availability panned out, but they weren’t really worth mentioning. Now onto what the rumor mill got wrong.
■The display – We heard several rumors suggesting that the next iPad would feature a Retina display. And sure enough, on Wednesday, Apple unveiled a new slate with a Retina screen. We even knew the exact resolution ahead of time: 2048 x 1536.
■The processor - Even though earlier rumors pointed to Apple using its quad-core A6 processor in the third iPad, we saw increasing evidence over the past two weeks that Apple would be using a modified dual-core A5 instead: the A5X. Nailed it.
■Wireless capabilities – Unlike most other rumors, speculation around whether or not the new iPad would include LTE technology was a bit inconsistent. But reports from Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal and Reuters practically confirmed it. And sure enough.
■Event date - The predictions we heard from multiple sources that Apple would unveil its new tablet in the first week turned out to be dead-on. They even got the date right: March 7th.
Other rumors regarding the tablet’s pricing and availability panned out, but they weren’t really worth mentioning. Now onto what the rumor mill got wrong.
What the rumor mill got wrong
■The name - This was arguably one of the biggest surprises at Apple’s iPad event on Wednesday. For months we called Apple’s new tablet the iPad 3, going strictly off the device’s history. And we also heard multiple rumors that Apple was planning on calling it the iPad HD. But the Cupertino company shocked everyone, and went with “the new iPad.”
■Siri – Actual evidence that Siri would find its way into Apple’s third iPad was scarce, but nearly everyone expected it to show up. The popular digital assistant, however, did not make an appearance at Wednesday’s iPad event. But hey, Dictation was there.
■Cameras - We’ve been hearing rumors for months that both of the iPad’s cameras would receive upgrades. In fact, we heard that the front-facing camera would be capable of FaceTime HD, and the backside camera would get an 8MP sensor. Neither panned out.
Obviously there were other rumors that didn’t materialize, like the last-minute report that the new iPad might feature some kind of specialized haptic feedback. But they didn’t pickup much traction. And for the record, the no-home button thing was never really a rumor. It was a misconception.
■The name - This was arguably one of the biggest surprises at Apple’s iPad event on Wednesday. For months we called Apple’s new tablet the iPad 3, going strictly off the device’s history. And we also heard multiple rumors that Apple was planning on calling it the iPad HD. But the Cupertino company shocked everyone, and went with “the new iPad.”
■Siri – Actual evidence that Siri would find its way into Apple’s third iPad was scarce, but nearly everyone expected it to show up. The popular digital assistant, however, did not make an appearance at Wednesday’s iPad event. But hey, Dictation was there.
■Cameras - We’ve been hearing rumors for months that both of the iPad’s cameras would receive upgrades. In fact, we heard that the front-facing camera would be capable of FaceTime HD, and the backside camera would get an 8MP sensor. Neither panned out.
Obviously there were other rumors that didn’t materialize, like the last-minute report that the new iPad might feature some kind of specialized haptic feedback. But they didn’t pickup much traction. And for the record, the no-home button thing was never really a rumor. It was a misconception.
As you can see, the rumor-mill was pretty spot on as far as the new iPad goes. Some might argue that this kind of talk ruins the fun and surprise of Apple’s product announcements. Others might argue that it gives consumers a good idea of what to expect so they can plan accordingly.
We just think it made for some interesting discussion and speculation leading up to Apple’s iPad event. But we’re still glad it’s over — at least for now.
So, about that next iPhone…
