CNET - With the success Apple is enjoying with the iPad 2, we’re not sure it even needs to make an iPad 3.
It will, of course. Just as it’s done over the past two years, Apple will likely unveil its latest, greatest tablet around April 2012. Until then, it’s open season on iPad 3 rumors.
In this ongoing blog post, we’ll be collecting the best, most interesting rumors and predictions for the Apple iPad 3. Which of these rumors will pan out? Only time will tell.
Looking for an iPhone 5 rumor roundup? We have one of those too.
February 17
Is this the iPad 3′s Retina Display?
A purported photo of the iPad 3′s display is published by MacRumors. A microscopic inspection shows it to have more pixels than the current model, while maintaining the iPad’s same 4:3 aspect ratio and 9.7-inch screen size.
February 14
Supplier chatter points to smaller 8-inch iPad
The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is talking to component suppliers about an iPad with a smaller screen. This rumor matches up with a previous rumor that Apple may create three tiers of iPads, including a smaller model offered at an entry-level price.
February 13
Verizon and AT&T to back iPad 3 4G capability
The two telecom carriers will carry a next-generation iPad running on the fast, next-generation wireless technology, sources tell The Wall Street Journal. Both carriers currently offer versions of the iPad 2 that make use of their respective 3G networks.
February 10
Apple March announcement, iPad 2S a possibility
A source quoted by the New York Times claims that the next generation of the iPad will be announced in early March 2012, and will look very similar to the iPad 2. The article goes on to speculate that the new iPad may not be called “iPad 3,” considering how Apple’s modestly updated iPhone 4S was thought to be called the iPhone 5.
February 9
iPad 3 launch to coincide with iOS 5.1
Profiles created for different iPhone operators point to early March as a possible date for the release of iOS 5.1, one that could coincide with the debut of the iPad 3.
February 9
Alleged iPad 3 Retina Display photographed
Leaked photos surface of what looks to be a new iPad-compatible high-resolution display. The panel is manufactured by Sharp, matching up with one previous rumor.
