The iPad 2 release date is just over a week away, and we’ve put together a list of some of the apps we’re hoping to see on it.
We chose several apps that already make use of the iPhone camera, apps already teased at online, or apps already available on the original iPad, that could make the best use of the iPad’s 2 new powerful insides.
Infinity Blade (And a sequel)
Still a beauty long after its launch, and the watermark for high-end games for gamers. The original has now been updated to make better use of the iPad 2’s greater graphical power, now all we need is a newer, deeper, sequel.
Though these sort of games often cost more than lighter gaming fare, you definitely get what you pay for, with production values that rival and sometimes trump portable gaming options.
Junaio
Now packing front and rear-facing cameras, they may not be the highest quality of cameras, but they do open up lots of AR (augmented reality) possibilities, some of which we’ve already seen on the iPhone. With a larger screen, we’re hoping for even deeper AR apps, able to reinterpret things around us, and tell us more about what we’re looking at.
One AR app already being developed for the new iPad, Junaio is an augmented-reality browser, which, as demonstrated in their demo video, will use the GPS and compass alongside the camera to add little labels to nearby shops and services, or give an explorable 3D model, where you can swing around your iPad to see full 360-degree panoramas.
The browser also adds video to certain things it spots on the camera; embedded video in adverts and posters being a very real possibility.
The iPad-specific AR browser is said to be heading to the app store soon. Check out their demo below.
Google Goggles
Not only can you sneakily solve sudoku effortlessly, the Goggles function will allow you to connect to websites found in print, without any need to type, recognising addresses and keywords through the camera. It can also (sometimes) recognise company logos, sending you to their website.
There are a few functions that may be less useful on the larger iPad 2; the translation feature, and barcode search are both better suited to the pocket-sized iPhone.
DanKam
An ingenious app that adjusts the colour saturation so that people that have colour-blindness are able to visibly see certain hues that they normally can’t. A great app that could be used around the house, or in jobs where colour differentiation is necessary, and something that shows how augmented reality can really change how we interact with our environment.
iMovie
Already available on the iPhone 4, iMovie can take what you record on your iPad camera, and give you some powerful editing tools.
Video-editing is pretty intensive, and should make good use of the new super-powerful A5 processor inside the iPad 2.
You can record audio straight into your videos, which can then be shared straight onto the web, or sent on email. It may not have the full feature set of the Mac version, but is optimised for the touchscreen.
Anything we’ve missed? Something you’ve heard coming to the iPad 2 that’s got you excited? Let us know below.
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