Just in case you haven’t guessed already, the analysts over at Goldman Sachs are speculating the next-generation iPad will appear next year, in the second quarter, to be exact. They anticipate the new Apple (AAPL) tablet will host a 9.7-inch display and will be thinner and lighter than before. We’re also going to see a built-in camera and a mini USB connection – perhaps in anticipation of upcoming European standardization on the interface. Goldman’s predictions are in line with reports last week which claimed Apple is already lining-up potential component suppliers for iPad 2.0. Apple is understood not to have made a final decision as to whether it will make a smaller 7-inch version of the iPad, and the company declined to comment on this. Apple sold over 3 million iPads in the first 80 days following the product’s April release. Production has reportedly now ramped-up to three million units per month. Meanwhile almost every Apple competitor appears to have plans to introduce tablet devices next year as the market heats up.
