iPad 3 may have thinner and lighter, longer-lasting battery
updated 03:30 pm EDT, Tue September 6, 2011
iPad 3 may have much advanced battery
Apple may get the edge in battery life again with the iPad 3, investors with apparent knowledge said Tuesday. The battery packs would reportedly be lighter and thinner than what's in the iPad 2 but simultaneously get longer battery life. The packs would cost Apple 20 to 30 percent more, the Taiwan Economic News said, although that cost won't necessarily be passed on to end buyers.
The batteries, which would still be made by Dynapack and Simplo, might also give Apple an advantage in staying in stores and getting a quality edge. The new packs would meet the tougher IEEE 1625 standard to improve both the overall quality and reduce the risks of the lithium batteries catching fire. AT&T is now supposedly barring devices that don't have batteries meeting the tougher benchmarks.
Shipments of the new batteries are expected to start in the fall and support beliefs that Apple will be launching the iPad 3 itself in early 2012. Simplo chairman Raymond Sung may have indirectly supported the plans after he said that a surge in tablet-related battery demand was expected to spill over into next year.
The claims if accurate point to Apple going for an even thinner design than the iPad 2 in the third generation but could also point to technological leaps. A higher capacity battery could help offset any extra demand that might come from a 2048x1536 display or the quad-core processor and graphics needed to drive it smoothly. Signs have surfaced that Apple will start using LTE in 2012 and may want the higher capacity simply to offer 4G data with battery life comparable to today's 3G tablets.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jun 2007
How much thinner??
Really, the obsession with thin is getting insane. How about a thick option that has a 24 hour battery? Now we're talking.