iPad 3 to Gain Improved Cameras? iPad 2 to Carry On at Lower Price? - MacRumors
Skip to Content

iPad 3 to Gain Improved Cameras? iPad 2 to Carry On at Lower Price?

ipad 2 cameraiLounge offers a new series of notes sharing information from a source about Apple's plans for the iPad 3. Among the most interesting notes is the claim that the next-generation iPad will carry significantly improved cameras on the front and back, moving to a FaceTime HD camera on the front and a higher-resolution iPhone-like camera on the rear.

The source also reiterates iLounge's earlier claim that the next-generation iPad will be slightly thicker than the iPad 2 while retaining the same general form factor.

1) A few next-gen iPad notes, ahead of the show. Both cameras are getting upgrades. Front goes HD, rear becomes iPhone 4/4S-like (bigger).

2) Body of the next iPad is, as we previously reported, getting just a little thicker to accommodate new parts - little = 1mm give or take.

3) Curve radiuses on the body will change only a little to accommodate the added thickness, not dramatically. Think iPad 2 Pro, not a redesign.

iLounge's source also follows some other current lines of thinking in reporting that Apple will continue to offer the iPad 2 alongside the iPad 3, dropping the price of the current model in order to tackle increasing competition from lower-priced competitors such as Amazon's Kindle Fire. Horwitz offers a $399 base price for the iPad 2 as a possibility, although that number appears to be pure speculation.

Finally, the iPad 3 is said to be in line for another March release, similar to that seen with the iPad 2 last year.

Related Roundup: iPad
Tag: iLounge
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iphone 18 pro max prepare

iPhone 18 Pro Max Requires 'Prepare to Ship' Battery Drain Before Shipping

Friday September 18, 2026 4:27 pm PDT by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max has a battery capacity over 20 watt-hours, which means there are additional shipping requirements. If an iPhone 18 Pro Max needs to be shipped somewhere, its maximum battery capacity has to be limited through firmware. According to Apple, the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses an "innovative battery-firmware solution" that limits battery capacity to below 20Wh between when the...
imac video apple feature

Apple Releasing Two New Macs Next Week

Friday September 18, 2026 10:07 am PDT by
Last month, Apple announced new Mac mini and Mac Studio models, and the computers are finally set to launch this coming Tuesday, September 22. The new Mac mini is available with M6 and M5 Pro chip options, while the new Mac Studio can be configured with M5 Max or M5 Ultra chips. To learn more, read our coverage:Apple Announces New Mac Mini With M6 and M5 Pro Chips and More Apple Unveils ...
iphone duo weather

Apple Exec Says 'Hold Us Accountable' on iPhone Duo Crease

Friday September 18, 2026 9:51 pm PDT by
Apple hardware engineering VP Tom Marieb spoke with TechRadar and shared some candid thoughts about Apple's upcoming iPhone Duo. The iPhone Duo uses a matte nano-texture display, which is meant to cut down on glare and minimize the visibility of the crease. When asked if the iPhone Duo's crease would be more visible over time, as that's what tends to happen on other foldables, Marieb said...

Top Rated Comments

firestarter Avatar
192 months ago
Improved cameras.

Shouldn't this be filed under 'obvious'? :confused:
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
192 months ago
Not sure if they will go as high as 8MP for the back camera, but I think we all are expecting improvements in both the front and back cameras. They are mediocre at best right now.

The article did say the camera would be iPhone 4/4S capable so if true, at the very least it will have a 5 Mpixel rear camera.

As a side note, I'm actually more interested in what type of CPU / GPU Apple will use in the iPad 3.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coder12 Avatar
192 months ago
I call BS on this one.

I call SARCASM in your comment!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BC2009 Avatar
192 months ago
These rumors seem so random. Honestly, its hard to imagine what great upgrade the iPad is going to get this year other than a Retina Display.

1) Assuming the A6 processor ready, then we should maybe expect a Cortex-A9 quad-core in the iPad 3 with improved graphics (probably obvious)

2) Bumping the resolution for the cameras is obvious, but by how much? Historically Apple has realized that only very strange people use their tablet as a point-and-shoot camera (though I did witness an iPad 2 being used this way at Disneyland in December -- the owner looked very silly snapping a shot of her daughter dancing with Disney princesses using her iPad 2 -- As an aside, I also witnessed a couple with his-and-her iPad 2s walking around the park with the iPads held just below the chests and their eyes on their screens instead of where they were walking -- very silly looking indeed especially with the crowds of people you could easily bump into -- yet some people are trying to use iPads like most would use an iPhone).

3) Apple could easily bump the RAM from 512MB to 1GB, but its kinda hard to tout this because they don't advertise the RAM in the iPad 2. Sure it could be filed under "faster". I know the iPhone 4S has RAM that can transfer data twice as fast as the iPhone 4, so perhaps this will be used at the very least.

What else? What more is Apple going to do with the iPad 3? They could make Siri available on it and exclude the iPad 2. They could add Thunderbolt to it, but if its really "PC free" then how much will this matter and how many have Thunderbolt PC's anyway?

It seems to me that the next iPad could be screaming fast with a beautiful screen and slightly to vastly better cameras. While the Retina Display is a huge deal for reading, I think the next great leap is when they merge the MacBook Air and the iPad into some kind of hybrid device that can run both iOS and Mac OS X. I believe Lenovo is attempting this with a Windows/Android hybrid and I think an OSX/iOS hybrid its something that many Apple users would want.

Personally, I am sitting back and waiting to see what Apple might do to surprise me on this one. Currently the iPad is the clear tablet market leader, but I'd like to see them keep raising the bar especially with Windows 8 on the horizon.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SuprUsrStan Avatar
192 months ago
Dropping it to 399 or even lower would put it in line to compete with the kindle fire and other low end android devices. It'll put the squeeze on the more expensive tablets as well.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Adidas Addict Avatar
192 months ago
i also hope it's quad core, then i can read books faster.
;)
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
A Shorter Apple Pencil Was Supposed to Launch Alongside iPhone Duo
A Shorter Apple Pencil Was Supposed to Launch Alongside iPhone Duo
10 minutes ago
Siri AI Settlement Website Now Live: Apple to Pay Some iPhone Owners
Siri AI Settlement Website Now Live: Apple to Pay Some iPhone Owners
34 minutes ago
M6 Pro Chip Result on Geekbench is Likely Fake
M6 Pro Chip Result on Geekbench is Likely Fake
1 day ago
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Sees First Discount After Launch, Now $779.99 on Amazon
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Sees First Discount After Launch, Now $779.99 on Amazon
2 days ago
Top Stories: iOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate Out Now, Siri AI Waitlist, and More
Top Stories: iOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate Out Now, Siri AI Waitlist, and More
2 days ago
Apple Exec Says 'Hold Us Accountable' on iPhone Duo Crease
Apple Exec Says 'Hold Us Accountable' on iPhone Duo Crease
2 days ago
iPhone 18 Pro Max Requires 'Prepare to Ship' Battery Drain Before Shipping
iPhone 18 Pro Max Requires 'Prepare to Ship' Battery Drain Before Shipping
2 days ago
Hands-On With the Apple Watch Series 12
Hands-On With the Apple Watch Series 12
2 days ago
M5 Ultra and M6 Chip Benchmark Results Reveal Graphics Performance
M5 Ultra and M6 Chip Benchmark Results Reveal Graphics Performance
2 days ago
iPhone 18 Pro Max in U.S. Has Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 Modem
iPhone 18 Pro Max in U.S. Has Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 Modem
2 days ago
Apple Releases Xcode 27.1 Beta With iPhone Duo Support
Apple Releases Xcode 27.1 Beta With iPhone Duo Support
2 days ago
Apple Watch Series 12 vs. Ultra 4 Buyer's Guide
Apple Watch Series 12 vs. Ultra 4 Buyer's Guide
2 days ago
MacRumors Giveaway: Win an iPhone Duo From iMazing
MacRumors Giveaway: Win an iPhone Duo From iMazing
2 days ago
'Shop Different': Apple Retail Pioneer Ron Johnson Shares the Inside Story
'Shop Different': Apple Retail Pioneer Ron Johnson Shares the Inside Story
2 days ago
Apple Teams Up With ROSÉ for iPhone 18 Pro Camera Ad
Apple Teams Up With ROSÉ for iPhone 18 Pro Camera Ad
2 days ago
The MacRumors Show: Is the iPhone Duo Actually Worth It?
The MacRumors Show: Is the iPhone Duo Actually Worth It?
2 days ago
Apple Designers Explain the Thinking Behind iPhone Duo
Apple Designers Explain the Thinking Behind iPhone Duo
2 days ago
Are iPhone 17 Pro Cases Compatible With iPhone 18 Pro? Here's What Apple Says
Are iPhone 17 Pro Cases Compatible With iPhone 18 Pro? Here's What Apple Says
2 days ago
Apple Supplier Subsidiary Considering U.S. Flash Memory Factory
Apple Supplier Subsidiary Considering U.S. Flash Memory Factory
3 days ago
Apple Launch Day Deals on iPhone 18 Pro, AirPods 5, Apple Watch Series 12, and More
Apple Launch Day Deals on iPhone 18 Pro, AirPods 5, Apple Watch Series 12, and More
3 days ago
iPhone 18 Pro Teardown Reveals How Apple Shrunk the Dynamic Island
iPhone 18 Pro Teardown Reveals How Apple Shrunk the Dynamic Island
3 days ago
iPhone 18 Pro Demand Stronger Than Expected
iPhone 18 Pro Demand Stronger Than Expected
3 days ago
Fan Site Lets You 'Design the Next iPhone'
Fan Site Lets You 'Design the Next iPhone'
3 days ago
Apple Stores Have a New 'Hello' Easter Egg, Here's Why
Apple Stores Have a New 'Hello' Easter Egg, Here's Why
3 days ago
iPhone 18 Pro: The New Features You Should Try First
iPhone 18 Pro: The New Features You Should Try First
3 days ago
iPhone 18 Pro: Using the New Variable Aperture Lens
iPhone 18 Pro: Using the New Variable Aperture Lens
3 days ago
Forgot to Pre-Order iPhone 18 Pro? Apple Store Pickup Available Today at Most Locations
Forgot to Pre-Order iPhone 18 Pro? Apple Store Pickup Available Today at Most Locations
3 days ago
Apple CEO John Ternus Teases iPhone 18 Pro Launch Day
Apple CEO John Ternus Teases iPhone 18 Pro Launch Day
3 days ago
First iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5 Orders Arriving to Customers
First iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5 Orders Arriving to Customers
3 days ago
iPhone 18 Pro Launching Tomorrow With These 10 New Features
iPhone 18 Pro Launching Tomorrow With These 10 New Features
3 days ago