New Rumors: Carbon Fiber Body iPad, NFC Accessories, 7-inch iPad Still Alive

A new iLounge report reveals that the iPad 2 could get a Carbon Fiber body, that Apple is working on RFID/NFC accessories, and that a 7-inch iPad is still being tested. Their source cautions that some of this information is very preliminary.

RFID/NFC Accessories:
Apple is reportedly developing accessories to communicate with NFC capable iPads and iPhones. "In the most basic implementation, an accessory could announce its presence and potential functions to an iPad or iPhone without the need for a Bluetooth or similar connection; our source suggests that an otherwise simple case could include a radio chip so that an inserted iPhone or iPad could go into power-saving hibernation mode automatically. More complex accessories will go far beyond that."

New Body Material:
Apple may be planning to use Carbon Fiber rather than aluminum for the next generation iPad. "Apple has already applied for a patent on this, and apparently second-generation iPad shells made from the new material have already been spotted. Apple has in the past worked simultaneously on more than one version of a device enclosure before making a late-stage switch to another, but it is apparently testing these new shells now in the hopes of reducing the weight of iPads."


The 7-inch iPad Lives:
"A key iPad, iPhone, and iPod component provider has been asked by Apple to develop a part for use in a seven-inch iPad. Our source believes that this part is for a new version of the device that is still in development, and doesn't know whether it will go into production. "

Apple is rumored to be announcing the iPad 2 at an event next week.

Read More