Rumor: iPad 2 to lack SD slot, high-res display

Apple's iPad 2 won't have two key features that some folks have been hoping for, a new report claims.

Citing unnamed sources, Engadget reported late yesterday that the iPad 2 won't launch with a high-resolution display or with an SD card slot. Apple initially planned on delivering those two features in the updated tablet, Engadget said, but apparently "engineering issues" caused the company to modify its plans at the last minute.

It's worth noting, however, that Engadget's latest report contradicts claims the blog made last month when it also cited unnamed sources who said the tablet would come with a "super high resolution" display and an SD card slot. At the time, the publication wrote that its sources could confirm their claims with "near certainty." Engadget's report from last night said its sources have been "dead right" in the past.

Considering that these two separate reports claim two very different things, perhaps those "sources" shouldn't make you feel as well-informed as Engadget would have you believe.

As with any Apple-related rumor, it's important to keep in mind that the company is one of the more secretive in the tech industry, and rumors surrounding its products run rampant for months prior to a big announcement.

Engadget's report follows several others claiming the tablet will come with a more-powerful processor and a thinner body. Yet other rumors claim the device will feature both front- and rear-facing cameras and won't be available until June.

For its part, Apple isn't talking. The company did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment. But we should find out everything we want to know about the iPad 2 at an Apple event on Wednesday. And CNET will be there, live-blogging every second.

Until then, expect even more wild rumors to fly in reports pretending to know what Apple really has planned.

Updated at 8:30 a.m. PT with reference to a previous report from Engadget.