Unnamed sources close to Apple's supply chain in Taiwan suggest that the next iPad launch could be coming on February 24, the same day as Steve Jobs' birthday.
With Christmas today comes the gift of another iPad 3 rumor, this one relating to the unannounced tablet’s release date. It’s February 24, the same day as Steve Jobs‘ birthday. At least according to unnamed sources “close to Taiwanese makers in the iPad 3 supply chain” speaking to Chinese-language newspaper Economic Daily News (via Focus Taiwan). It’s not clear if the date refers to a product launch or an announcement, though 9to5mac notes that Apple traditionally launches new products on Fridays, as February 24 is.
The sources say that employees at a number of companies known or believed to be working on the iPad 3 have been told to expect a heavy workload around the Lunar New Year. Apple manufacturer Foxconn reportedly isn’t allowing employees to take any more than five days off during the holiday. The word is that the iPad 3′s initial shipment “could exceed 4 million units.”
Remember that this is all rumor for now, and will likely stay that way until early next year. Even if there weren’t hard evidence to support it, there would be little doubt that a third iPad is coming soon. Apple is a company that likes sticking to a script, and the script clearly pegs another tablet announcement/launch for the start of the year. Yes, the iPhone 4S launch was shuffled just this year from the usual summer release to the fall. My money’s still on early ’12 for the next iPad though.
iPad 3 production already underway: March launch likely
Reports suggest production of Apple's iPad 3 tablet is already underway, with a release date set for March.
More rumors are surfacing suggesting the iPad 3 will hit the shelves two months from now, in March.
Such a release date would pretty much fit with previous iPad releases—the original iPad model appeared early April 2010, while the iPad 2 came out last March.
According to a Bloomberg report, the next iteration of the popular tablet computer will incorporate a high-definition screen “with pixels small enough to make the images look like printed material.”
It’ll also be fitted with a quad-core chip offering much faster performance and offer 4G LTE support.
“Apple is bringing LTE to the iPad before the iPhone because the tablet has a bigger battery and can better support the power requirements of the newer technology,” the report stated.
Bloomberg said it obtained the information from “three people familiar with the product.”
The report also says that production of the new device has already started at Apple’s manufacturing partners in Asia, with Foxconn factories in China “running 24 hours.”
The iPad has been a massive hit with consumers since its launch nearly two years ago, with more than 40 million units sold to date, generating more than $25 billion in sales.
Other companies have tried but failed to come up with an iPad killer, and the Cupertino will be hoping that the latest version of its device will further cement its position as the tablet of choice for consumers.
Whereas last year’s rumors concerning the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 failed in many cases to hit the target, rumors about the iPad 3 have been fairly consistent up to now—meaning they might actually be right this time.
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