Siri Will be on iPad 3, Says Analyst

“I would be surprised if Siri is not on [the iPad 3],” said Crowell, Weedon & Co.'s James D. Ragan. Ragan, a senior equity analyst, told Benzinga that he finds it interesting how few articles there have been regarding Siri's inclusion. “I think they're gonna do it,” he said. “They've got the technology already – so why not?” Instead of Siri (the obvious upgrade), Ragan said that people seem to be focusing on the iPad 3's potential 4G LTE capabilities. Other than that, he also said that people are anticipating an Apple TV upgrade that would “make it perfectly compatible with the iPad so that it would support streaming onto your television a little bit more.” “That would be a big deal to talk about,” said Ragan. “And if they added Siri too, that would be another thing.” Ultimately, Ragan said that he would be surprised if Siri is not on the iPad 3. “For me, that would be a compelling upgrade for people,” he said. “I'm really surprised no one's talking about that. But this might lead to a little bit more of a surprise. But let's not make the mistake of calling it the iPad 3. “We don't even know for sure that it's the iPad 3” that's going to be unveiled, Ragan said. “But it looks like it is. It looks like it will probably be called the iPad HD, if the rumors are true.” While the iPad HD moniker may not sound as sexy as the presumed iPad 3 title, Ragan believes that the Apple AAPL tablet will receive a more significant upgrade than the iPhone 4S. “[The iPhone 4S] was characterized as disappointing initially, but then became – I think because of Siri – much more of a significant upgrade than people originally gave it credit for,” said Ragan. “It sounds like the new iPad will have meaningful increases – a more powerful processor, much better high-definition screen, perhaps will support 4G LTE on the cellular side. And that seems to be where a lot of the rumors are focusing right now.” With regard to the potential for a battery with twice the capacity as the iPad 2, Ragan said that while he thinks it's possible, he has some concerns. “The thing I'd be concerned about is that if they truly have all these upgrades – processor, screen, and Siri is on there – then I'm concerned about the cost,” he said. “Certainly the entry point of $499 seems to be a sweet spot. I think if they can hold that [price], that would be very appealing. I think the more that's on there, it's going to be harder to hold the [base price of] $499.” Ragan also took a moment to speak on the rumor that the base model would feature more ram. “That would also add costs,” he said. “I think that's the issue – where is the cost? Maybe they offer more bells and whistles at a higher-priced model, but that's generally not the way they like to do it. So I'm not sure about the battery. I haven't heard a lot of complaints about battery life in general on the iPad 2. That would be a surprise if they had that on there.” Finally, Ragan said that we can anticipate “some type of product/software partnership announcement, something along those lines,” for the iPad 3. “Of course, that'd be different from a feature added to the iPad 3,” Ragan clarified. “If they upgrade the Apple TV, they would probably have some product software or programming product that's related to that. I wouldn't be surprised about that.” Follow me @LouisBedigian