Now that the cat’s out of the bag and Apple has confirmed the next-gen iPad announcement for March 7th, it’s time to deconstruct the invite itself for possible clues about the next iPad!
1. First up is the wording: “We have something you really have to see.” Combine that with the fact that the display looks amazing – much sharper than an iPad 2 display photographed at that distance – and you have a solid hint that the next iPad will indeed have a Retina display, as previously rumored.
2. Next up is the lack of a home button in the image. The spacing of the icons on the dock suggests that the iPad pictured is in portrait mode (and Gizmodo confirms that this is the case), yet there is no home button to be seen. This could easily be explained away in a number of ways (the iPad may have been photographed upside-down, or at an unusual angle), but Apple’s specific inclusion of “and touch” in the announcement phrasing may suggest a touch-sensitive bezel instead of a home button. There’s no real way to be sure, however – just a possibility.
3. Third, the inclusion of Keynote, Calendar, and Maps icons all present in the dock may just refer to the date of the event, that it is a keynote, and that people will need to find their way to the event in San Francisco. It could also mean that Apple is planning updates of some sort to their Keynote and Maps apps, although the calendar icon probably just notes the date.
4. “And touch.” wording could also suggest that Apple may bring an improved oleophobic display (Gorilla Glass 2?) or haptic feedback to the next generation iPad.
Did you spot any other interesting bits? Let us know!