iPad 3 Speculations in the Wake of Recent Apple Plant Explosion in Shangai
2011 literally went out with a bang when a Shangai-based assembly plant run by Apple supplier Pegatron exploded mid-December. The blast injured 61 workers, 23 of whom were sent to the hospital for treatment – and it happened only a few months after a similar explosion took place at another Apple supplier, Foxconn, killing three employees there.
Pegatron was reported to have just begun creating back panels for the iPad 2, and was also “test-producing” iPad 3s. While the cause of the explosion is not yet known, preliminary speculation has blamed aluminum dust as the culprit. Apparently, the detonation destroyed only a small section of the plant’s automation equipment. Nonetheless, it is unclear as to what kind of a delay in production of these items – if any – has occurred as a result of the calamity.
Amidst the fuzzy details surrounding the new iManufacturing timeline, Apple is reported to have its sights on the end of the second quarter of 2012 as a production-start date, and the fourth quarter of the year as a target launch date.
Additionally, there is some information that has leaked concerning features we may expect to be included with the iPad 3 – data which seems to be slightly more than mere gossip.
For example, the next generation iDevice will most likely feature a 7.85” screen, and a retina display with a resolution of 2048 x 536 pixels. The iPad 3 is also expected to include an SD card slot and support for HDMI playback (which would require an Apple digital AD adapter) via an HDMI port – thereby eradicating necessity of an HDMI cable. A camera flash – which was originally wished for by iPad 2 purchasers – may be sported by version 3, as well as a Thunderbolt port for delivering power, video and data connectivity at bionic speeds.
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Keep your eye out for future updates regarding the possible perks that will accompany the iPad 3 as well as a confirmed release date. Likewise, get ready to purchase an iPad warranty from CPS for the newest version of your favorite Apple iGadget.