Can we just agree that the iPad 2 will have cameras already?

We have new details on Apple’s iPad 2 from component suppliers, but none of it is all that surprising. There’s word that the new iPad will have front and rear-facing cameras, and that it will be thinner, lighter, and feature a higher-resolution display, Reuters reports.

Now I realize that since we have no official details on the iPad 2, nothing is set in stone yet. But we’ve been hearing about cameras on the iPad successor for months now. And given that all of the iPad’s tablet competitors — including the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the BlackBerry PlayBook — feature dual cameras, it would simply be unfathomable for Apple not to follow suit.

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Apple also recently brought its FaceTime video chat service to the iPod Touch and Mac computers, so it would make sense for it to bring video chat to the iPad as well.

Reuters points to camera module makers Genius Electronic Optical and Largan Precision as new Apple component suppliers, but neither would confirm that they were building components for the iPad 2.

That the iPad will be lighter, thinner, and equipped with a better display is no surprise either. Many complained that the original iPad’s weight (1.6 pounds) made it too heavy to hold for long periods of time. And ever since Apple introduced the high-resolution Retina Display on the iPhone 4, the iPad’s resolution seemed less impressive in comparison.

Reuters’ sources also confirm our previous report, which said that the iPad 2 will ship by the end of February and will be available for purchase some time in April. It’s expected that the iPad 2 will be announced in January.