Analyst: Apple Planning Thinner iPad with Camera, Mini USB

Photo by aussiegall - http://flic.kr/p/8v5K3j

Wall Street analysts have been at it again attempting to prognosticate upcoming Apple products. It’s Goldman Sachs’ turn at the crystal ball – with a little help from those chatty “supply chain” folks. Goldman believes the Cupertino, Calif. company will launch a second version of its popular iPad with a 9.7-inch screen, a camera and mini USB connection.

This report shares some of the same qualities of a DigiTimes post published Sept. 17. Both agree the new iPad will advance Apple’s plans to offer Facetime videochat on every iOS family-member. Oh, that 7-inch iPhone 4 look-alike version one Chinese publication claimed was “finished” has “yet to be finalized,” according to Goldman analysts Henry King and Kevin Lu.

The two analysts believe the new iPad will appear slightly later than the DigiTimes report. The financial firm expects the iPad 2 to be introduced in the second quarter of 2011, while the Taiwan-based DigiTimes claims the new tablet will appear during the first quarter of next year.

Hon Hai Precision Industries will build the iPad, due to Apple not yet having picked a second tablet supplier, according to the analysts. Although news of a front-facing camera had been reported elsewhere, this is the first mention that Apple would move away from a proprietary dock connection to a mini USB. Up to now, Apple has raked in lucrative licensing fees from makers of gadgets with a dock for the iPhone or iPod.

The iPad 2 may already being appearing, but under the radar. Apple watchers report the Apple TV firmware includes mention of three new devices – two which appear to indicate iPhones and one unidentified device.

[AppleInsider, 9to5Mac]

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