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iPad 2 with Dual Cameras May Ship as Soon as February

Apple's next-generation iPad 2 could reportedly start shipping as early as February. A Foxconn plant has reportedly delayed production to test the iPad's firmware. The iPad 2 is expected to have front and back cameras for video chats. When Apple's new iPad does arrive, it will face competition from other tablets as well as Apple's MacBook Air.

Apple's Taiwan-based manufacturer, Foxconn, could start shipping the next-generation iPad tablet computer  as soon as February, with an initial run of 400,000 to 600,000, according to a published report Tuesday.
DigiTimes, which covers the electronics industry in China, said Foxconn's plant in Shenzhen, China, was originally to begin production in January, but pushed it off because the device's firmware is still being tested. The paper cited anonymous sources for the information .

'Beefed-Up Specs'

Rumors and speculation about the iPad's refresh have been circulating for months as the first anniversary of the trend-setting device, which was the subject of intense media interest last winter, approaches. Last month RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky wrote in a research note that the iPad manufacturing schedule "implies [a] possible iPad 2 launch [in] February-March." The refresh, he said, may include the FaceTime video -chat  application  with the necessary front- and rear-facing cameras to use it, and other "beefed-up specs."

Consumer-devices expert Avi Greengart of Current Analysis said he doesn't put much faith in rumors from newspapers or financial advisers. "However, I do believe that Apple is on a (roughly) 12-month schedule with the iPad, which would have the next model reaching the market in the April 2011 time frame."

Crowded Field

Unlike the first iPad, which entered a virtually empty field when it hit stores in April, an iPad 2 will face a slew of competitors, some of them rushed into the market to compete, and some, like Samsung's Galaxy Tab, that may have a refresh of their own coming up.

"Obviously it will be challenging to compete with the iPad, which leads the market today, but it is too early to tell how the second-generation iPad will stack up against upcoming tablet products because none of them have been announced, let alone are on the market yet," Greengart said.

The iPad will also face competition from other Apple products as the company markets the ultra-portable MacBook Air, which CEO Steve Jobs said is intended to perform like a Mac  mated with an iPad, but without the touchscreen.

The iPad, now sold by Verizon Wireless and AT&T as well as at Apple stores and retailers such as Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart, ranges from $499 to $829, depending on storage  space and Wi-Fi or 3G connectivity .