With only hours left before the launch of the Apple iPad 2, we're looking at the features that will definitely not happen when the tablet is presented later today.
No, the iPad 2 won't have a different shape; we do not believe that the tablet will have a different shape. After all why should it? Although most of the mockups that have been leaked shows a different iPad 2 model, one has to bear in mind that mockups are often built on rumours and are themselves part of a whole self-fulfilling cycle. It is in Apple's interest to stick to the current form factor since this is a familiar one and has proven to be quite popular; there might be some minor changes (more slots, holes at different places) but overall, expect the same chassis to be revealed later today.
No, there won't be any SD card reader on the iPad 2; the sole purpose of the SD card reader on the iPad 2 would be to increase the onboard storage capacity. Doing so would kill the sales of higher capacity iPad 2 overnight; a 16GB card can be purchased for £15 while the premium users have to pay for it (16GB to 32GB) currently £61. A 64GB costs around £90 while going from a 16GB iPad to a 64GB model adds an additional 40 per cent to the price.
No, don't expect a Retina Display touchscreen on the iPad 2; we explained in details
here why this would be a highly unlikely feature for now; the four reasons are price (more expensive to manufacture), technical issues (to our knowledge, there are no retina display of this size on the market), battery life (more pixels = more transistors), processing power (powering FIVE million pixels, more than six time the current resolution is taxing).
No, there won't be any iOS 5.0; this will come with the iPhone 5 and not with the iPad 2 as some have suggested. iOS 4.3 will do for now.
No, we don't think there will be any Thunderbolt port on the iPad 2; Apple is very likely to stick to the 40-pin proprietary connector with a lead to USB or Thunderbolt. It will not want to alienate the millions of users that use their iPad with their non-Thunderbolt compatible computer.
Read more: http://www.itproportal.com/2011/03/02/5-things-not-expect-ipad-2/#ixzz1Ecdwpwwf 
