Although Apple rumor-mongers can rarely agree on anything, two things that most of the supposed tipsters and leaksters have managed to agree on is that the iPad 2 will be FaceTime compatible and have a higher resolution display.
Some files in the new iOS 4.3 SDK seemingly confirm the FaceTime claims, as it includes iPad-specific graphic files for the shutter screen seen in the iPhone and iPod Touch, which implies, at the very least, a new backwards facing camera. Interesting, but a no-brainer: there’s no way Apple’s going to leave FaceTime capability out of the iPad 2.
More surprising than the FaceTime implications of those icons, though, are their resolution: 1024 x 768. In other words, the current iOS 4.3 SDK implies that the FaceTime-capable iPad 2 will have the same resolution as the current iPad.
I know a lot of people thought the iPad 2 would get a Retina Display, but I’ve always been skeptical, and this seemingly confirms it. 10-inch Retina Displays are just too expensive to put in the iPad this generation.
More surprising is that Apple didn’t increase the pixel density in the iPad 2 at all, but it actually makes perfect sense when you think about it: Apple does not want to force developers to code for another resolution entirely until Cupertino’s maxed out the hardware display to their satisfaction. That means that until 10-inch Retina Display panels become cheap enough to put in the iPad, all iPads will continue at a 1024 x 768 resolution.