Business

What consumers want in new iPad

With a new iPad reportedly set to be unveiled in early March, consumers are hoping the updated Apple tablet will feature several improvements.

Specifically, shoppers want the new iPad to have a USB port to connect the tablet to other devices, faster Internet service, a lower price, more memory and better resolution, according to USA Today.

With respect to Internet service, consumers said they wanted one with a 4G wireless option instead of the tablet’s current 3G service.

“What I want is not to have to haul around a 4G mobile hotspot when I’m traveling,” Wolf Butler said in a Facebook comment on USA Today’s Web site. “Hotel and convention center Wi-Fi are expensive and usually awful. And 3G is mediocre for more than e-mail and text messages.”

Currently the iPad 2 starts at $499, but rivals like Amazon and Samsung have released tablets that are priced lower than the Apple model. In light of this competition, it’s unsurprising that consumers would want a cheaper iPad.

Other readers suggested more creative features, like the addition of a personal digital assistant similar to the iPhone 4S’ Siri and a solar panel to keep the battery charged. One person even suggested a waterproof model.

The iPad is so popular that more than 55 million devices have been sold to date, according to USA Today.