iPad 2 microphone performance varies from model-to-model because of antenna housing: report

In general, it's thought that the wi-fi only iPad 2, just as the iPad 1, would be identical in performance to the Verizon and AT&T versions with the exception of the CDMA or GSM connectivity. iLounge seems to have found a little discrepancy in the iPad 2.

It is not because Apple used a different part. Instead, it's because of the fact that on the iPad 2, the microphone has been moved to dead center in the top of the iPad 2 case. If you draw a straight line up from the FaceTime camera, you'll hit it.

What difference does it make? On the iPad 2 wi-fi, the microphone sits in a metal housing. On the Verizon and AT&T models, it sits in a plastic housing. That difference reportedly causes differences between the models. In fact, for some reason, even the AT&T and Verizon versions are not identical (that plastic strip houses part of the antenna system). Reportedly, the order of the best to worst microphone performance is wi-fi (best), GSM, CDMA.

The microphones in the 3G versions seem to provide muffled sound, the report said, with the CDMA version the worst. Additionally, the sound is the worst when held in the most likely way: camera facing an end user, as you might tend to use it with FaceTime.

How could something like this slip past Apple? As was witnessed with the Antennagate issue from last year, sometimes Apple makes decisions that affect a device because it looks 'cool.' Since the issue is somewhat related to the antenna housing, it could in fact be said to be Antennagate 2.

Apple's veil of secrecy may have something to do with this oversight, as well. The company generally eschews any market unit testing. Often that type of testing will pick up things that those closest to a product might miss, simply because they are too familiar with it.