Apple’s yet to be announced iPad 3 will feature a battery that is “thinner and lighter” with a longer service life, according to a report from Taiwan Economic News.
The new battery will also need to meet higher standards for quality and reliability, which means that Apple's cost for it could shoot up by 20 to 30 percent.
iPad 3 battery module will call for advanced technologies, selling for a higher price to benefit Simplo and Dynapack, the Asian contract suppliers for Apple Inc.’s iPad and Macbook, especially when the two companies have had their battery packs pass the IEEE 1625 test as the only two battery makers in Taiwan for the moment, reported Taiwan Economic News.
Whether or not Apple plans on passing that cost down to consumers remains to be seen, but we have huge doubts that the entry level $499 price tag is something Apple will want to deviate from.
What will a thinner battery mean?
If you’re wondering how battery life will be impacted by having a smaller battery, then note that Apple’s iPad 3 will likely have a new processor, probably called the A6, that’s rumored to be built on a 28 nanometer process. For comparison, the A5 in the iPad 2 is built using a 45 nanometer process. The smaller processes, and thus smaller transistors, mean less power consumption.
A thinner, lighter battery could mean Apple will make the iPad 3 even thinner than its predecessor, which has a depth of just .34 inches, suggests BGR Report.
The new battery could also make way for a retina display on the device. Based on images found in the Software Development Kit for iOS 5 in June, some sources believe the next iPad will sport a 2,048x1, 536 resolution Retina Display.
When will it be available?
All Apple rumor eyes are now anxiously awaiting an iPhone 5 announcement, which is expected to come any day now. Back to the battery, the news report detailing the news of a thinner and lighter battery goes on to suggest that volume production of the component will begin in Q1 2012, which is line with Apple’s traditional spring launch date for their tablets.
