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Apple iPad 3: 10 Must-Have Features

The iPad 3, whatever its real name may be, debuts Wednesday. Here's what we most hope to see.

By Thomas Claburn InformationWeek
March 06, 2012 09:20 AM

Apple iPad: Happy 2nd Birthday
Apple iPad: Happy 2nd Birthday
(click image for larger view and for slideshow)
In case you've missed the months of rumors, Apple is holding a media event Wednesday where it is widely expected to introduce a new iPad model.

The event is being held in San Francisco, at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, which is next to Moscone Center, home to the Game Developers Conference this week.

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Apple last week issued a report noting, among other things, that the company was responsible for 210,000 jobs related to iOS app development in the United States. Many of those employed as a result of Apple and iOS will be no more than 100 yards away when the company unveils the next vessel of their livelihoods.

That's where the certainty ends. Apple has not definitively stated that it will announce a new iPad. It has acknowledged only, "We have something you really have to see. And touch."

That sounds like new touch-based hardware with a really sharp screen. But it could be anything, really. It could be the long-rumored Apple television, a next-generation Newton, or a new line of fur-trimmed linoleum mouse pads.

[ Get a visual of the iPad 3: 9 Things We Really Want. ]

Even the name of Apple's new device is undeclared. It could be iPad 3, or iPad HD, or some unforeseen variation on that theme. Pray Apple hasn't been bitten by the co-branding bug and partnered with Google and Yahoo to launch iPad+!.

But iPad fans know what they want: more features and improvements on existing features. Here are our top 10.

10. Faster Wireless
Networking doesn't have to be the weakest link. Apple could add support for 4G LTE wireless technology and the latest in Wi-Fi, 802.11ac. Whether the company will do so may depend on the processor and battery characteristics of the new iPad. Faster networking would be worthless if it came with faster battery drain.

9. Better Battery
As more and more people discover the joys of watching movies on iPads, more and more charging is necessary. And the power drain only gets worse if network data transfers are accompanied by other network services that utilize 3G, GPS, or other hardware. Can the iPad 3 have both more speed and more endurance? There's only so much power you can pack into a lithium battery before it becomes explosive.

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