Those of with certain later model desktops and laptops know the power of dual core CPUs. But could the next iPhone 5 and iPad 2 feature them as well?

They’d have to, if they hope to stay on top in the increasingly competitive marketplace. That’s the basis for the latest rumors originating from an analyst at Rodman & Renshaw. Ashok Kumar claims that the next iPad will have the dual cores in order to do battle with RIM’s PlayBook tablet and the Android Honeycomb Moto tablet.

“Apple is on track to refresh the iPad by March and iPhone by late summer,” says Kumar. “A key component upgrade across these platforms will be a dual-core processor featuring a pair of 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 cores.” And as we know, the current A4 processor in the iPad and iPhone 4 are the same, so if it’s in one next-gen device, chances are good it will be in the other — which is just what Kumar expects to happen. Whether one or both, this would definitely be a first for any iOS device.

Any holdouts in the viewing audience? If the iPhone 5, iPad 2 or both get dual cores, would this be enough to tip you over the edge and prompt you to buy? Let us know in the comments.

Via: CNET