Top 10 rumors about the iPad 2

Apple iPad 2 rumors are like the last X-Files movie: we know there's no basis for them, but sometimes..."I Want To Believe."

Apparently, even industry analysts aren't immune to fantasies, with many predicting that the iPad's unborn child will ship roughly 40 million units next year, far more than the first iPad's estimated 12.9 million for 2010, according to iSuppli.

Here are the most prevalent rumors about iPad 2 that have been circulating the Web, along with our take on whether you can believe what you read:

1. There Will Be Three Versions: Wi-Fi, CDMA, and GSM

The first-generation iPad comes in two versions: Wi-Fi-only and GSM (3G), with local carriage limited to AT&T. But upstream component makers apparently told DigiTimes today to expect three versions of the iPad 2, supporting at least or one of: Wi-Fi, GSM, and CDMA. It even found shipment ratios of 3:4:3, respectively, and claims Apple will begin shipping them in January, which, based on this year's iPad supply-chain schedule, would land the iPad 2 in stores by April 2011.

CDMA technology is carried by Verizon, Sprint, MetroPCS, US Cellular and Cricket, though local carriage would probably be limited to just one of them (barring hacking). With an iPad on Verizon's network, it would have even more appeal, and that 40-million-units number is starting to look a bit more realistic.

Our take: Hard to say. Volume was never Apple's greatest concern, but perhaps it has learned a thing or two from locking its U.S. iPhones with AT&T for so long.

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