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Apple could release three different versions of iPad 2, report says

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Apple’s next-generation iPad could arrive in three versions, each offering a different way to connect to the Internet, in an attempt to attract more consumers, according to a report from a Taiwanese news website.

The second-gen iPad, which many have taken to calling the iPad 2 as rumors and speculation about Apple’s next tablet have increased in recent months, might also go into production as soon as the second half of January, according to a report from the website DigiTimes.

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Apple officials were unavailable for comment Tuesday morning on the rumors.

Unnamed ‘industry sources, citing upstream component makers,’ told the website that Apple will ship the second-generation iPad in January with a mix of iPads equipped with three different Internet connection options: Wi-Fi and the 3G wireless standards of UMTS and CDMA.

DigiTimes also reported that about 60% to 65% of current iPad shipments are models equipped with both 3G and Wi-Fi capabilities, versus Wi-Fi-only models, and that Apple is working closely with telecommunications companies to offer more wireless options for the iPad 2.

Currently, 3G service for the iPad is only available for the iPad through AT&T, though other carriers such as Verizon and Sprint sell 3G mobile hotspot devices that can work with Wi-Fi versions of the massively popular tablet.

Other rumored changes are possible new antismudge and antireflective screens which could be easier to view in direct sunlight, according to the website.

Last week, the Japanese website Macotakara published a video of what it said was a prototype case for the rumored iPad 2. Macotakara reported a rumor that the next iPad is likely to feature a flat back as opposed to the rounded back of the current model.

Rumors from past months and weeks have led to speculation that the iPad 2 will feature one or two cameras, possibly for use with Apple’s FaceTime video chat standard, and improvements such as a lighter and thinner design.

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-- Nathan Olivarez-Giles

twitter.com/nateog

Video: A prototype case for the second-generation Apple iPad being compared with a current Apple iPad. Credit: Macotakara via YouTube.

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