I am asked about the iPad 2 about a dozen times a day. The still unannounced product is reaching hype levels that rival the original iPhone release. One of the biggest questions about the next-gen iPad is: “will it have a camera?”. As Apple has been building cameras into the majority of their recent products, I would say that it’s probably a safe bet. What I’ve been wondering recently is what image quality the camera is going to have, and if there might be a better solution.
My proposal is to bring back the iSight and make it Bluetooth compatible. The best camera Apple would use in the iPad 2 is probably the camera from the iPhone 4; it’s small and takes pretty great photos and videos. However, to save space and cut costs, Apple may opt to use the 4th gen. iPod touch camera. This would mean photos just below one megapixel and decent video. However, what looks good on a 3.5-inch screen, may start to deteriorate on a 9.7-inch display. I also wonder how many people will utilize a camera in a device as large as an iPad. The smartphone seems to be the perfect size for a good quality camera, and I’d rather hold a nice DSLR than an iPad. FaceTime on an iPad could also be a nice experience, but you’ll almost have to prop the iPad up in some manner to avoid your friends and family constantly reminding you to blow your nose before calling.
A wireless iSight could be the best of both worlds. If Apple builds camera features into iOS 5, it would make the millions of existing iPad owners (i.e. myself) pretty happy that they can take advantage of some of the new stuff. The camera could also be easily mounted, to get the best looking video and angle. The lens itself could shoot much higher quality video than a built-in design, and it could work with any of Apple’s computers and iOS devices—including AppleTV. Perhaps most importantly, the original iSight was the most beautiful webcam ever made! Even eight years after the original’s introduction, a wireless version would fit seamlessly into Apple’s current product lineup.
Think about it Steve…