Analyst sees 7-inch iPad and dual cameras in 2011

At times contentious Rodman & Renshaw analyst Ashok Kumar today claimed that a seven-inch iPad was not only coming but that at least one future iPad would have dual cameras. While suspicions have been raised that Apple would at least have a front camera for FaceTime support, the researcher believed that it would have both front and back cameras. The finished devices would arrive sometime in 2011, Kumar said.

The assertions haven't been verified and aren't necessarily accurate. However, most rumors have put an iPad refresh early next year or sooner.

Apple has regularly upgraded iOS devices once a year and may simply be trying to time any launch closer to the anniversary of the late January unveiling of the iPad this year rather than any kind of accelerated path. Competition is nonetheless ramping up faster in the tablet space than it did in smartphones and has been focusing on the camera as a possible edge: the Samsung Galaxy Tab has both front and back cameras that can be used not just for video chat but for apps that need a back camera and would still make sense on a tablet, such as augmented reality or barcode readers.

A smaller design would also help lower the price and could address compplaints from those who feel the iPad's 1.5-pound weight is too big or too heavy for reading. [via GigaOM]

By Electronista Staff