iPhone 4 Reveal Gives Sneak Peek at What iPad 2 Might Look Like

The iPad lost its place as the front page image on apple.com this week as Apple officially announced the iPhone 4 on Monday.

From the day the iPad was announced, people have been speculating about what the 2nd generation iPad might look like. With the announcement Monday of the fourth generation iPhone, we now have a better idea of the future of the Pad.

Here is a list of the top 5 iPhone 4 features that could make their way into the next generation iPad.

1. Improved resolution - The iPhone 4 is getting a big boost in the resolution department doubling its native resolution from 480×320 pixels to 960×640 pixels. By doubling the native resolution of the iPhone, Apple has packed 326 pixels per inch into the 3.5″ iPhone 4 screen. Apple calls this new super high resolution screen their “retina display”. In contrast the iPad sports a 9.7″ screen with 1024×768 resolution and only 132 pixels per inch. As amazing as the iPad’s screen looks now, it is decidedly low resolution compared to the iPhone 4′s impressive display. Look for the next gen iPad to get a bump in resolution to better match the new iPhones display.

2. Front facing camera – There was a lot of disappointment when the iPad was announced over the lack of a front facing camera. Apple announced the iPhone 4 will include a front facing camera for video chats which is Apple is calling FaceTime. Now that the iPhone has a front facing camera and the software in place for live video chats, there is a good chance Apple will include a front facing camera in the next iPad for iPhone to iPad or iPad to iPad video calls.

3. iMovie - Apple announced their popular video editing software is coming to the iPhone (as a $4.99 download). This makes sense since the new iPhone is now a very capable video camcorder with 720p HD movie recording, but the experience of editing movies with your finger on a 3.5″ screen can not be nearly as satisfying as editing movies on a 9.7″ screen. This app is screaming out for an iPad version. Expect this app to be included with the next gen iPad or available for purchase for iPad by the time the next iPad is released.

4. iOS 4 – iOS 4 is Apple’s new mobile operating system upgrade that will soon be available for the iPhone and iPod touch. Steve Jobs has stated the iPad will get iOS 4 this Fall. iOS 4 will give the iPad the ability to multi-task and create folders among many other new features. Current iPad users should be able to upgrade to iOS 4 for free, while the next iPad will have iOS 4 right out of the box.

5. Improved design – Apple likes all their products to have a cohesive design. It would come as no surprise if Apple takes design cues from the iPhone 4 to make the next iPad look more like the new iPhone. One of the biggest complaints about the first generation iPad has been the wireless reception with several iPad users complaining of spotty reception. Apple claims the new steel frame and glass back design of the new iPhone improves wireless reception, so we could see this design implemented in future iPads.