It’s almost that time again. iOS devices should be getting updated in a couple of months (usually January). Release partners and manufacturing plants usually start springing leaks around this time of year. We’ve got a big one today: Omnivision says they’re suppling Apple with image sensors for cameras, expected to ship with the iPad 2, some time during the first quarter of 2011.
You’ll probably remember some of the rage that early adopters felt when Apple released the iPad without a camera. There were plenty of people and blogs that were pretty pissed about it.
This is the first time that investment firm Detweiler Fenton, the originator of the claim, has popped onto our radar, so we’re not completely sure what to expect, or if this is even real. But, to put it into context, Barron’s, a website that’s part of the Wall Street Journal Digital Network, is the original source for the news, and they’re usually pretty hardcore about posting rumors. Although, to be fair, Barron’s also tossed out the word “reportedly” in their article title, so take this one for what it’s worth.
Personally, I think it’s pretty likely that Apple would include a camera in the next iPad. It just makes sense, the iPad would otherwise be the only mobile iOS device without FaceTime support. Given the emphasis placed on FaceTime during Apple’s recent keynote, it’s pretty hard to not believe that Apple will include the technology in the iPad 2.
Also available in the original Barron’s article are the following claims:
- 5MP camera and VGA Camera for iPad 2
- Apple will build 2.5 million iPad 2s in Q1 of 2011
- Apple will account for a 1/3 of Omnivision’s chip demand
And of course, Omnivision’s stock seems to be up today. I wonder when companies are going to start leaking fake rumors to the press so they can bump their stocks every now and then. Oh, who am I kidding, they’re probably already doing it.
Article Via 9 to 5 Mac, Barron’s
Image Credit: Wired
