iPad 3 Expected to Launch in Around March-April

ipad

DigiTimes reports that Apple's next generation iPad will become available in about 3-4 months. The publication's supply chain sources indicate that the next generation iPad parts are starting to ramp up while the iPad 2 production is starting to decline.

OEM production of iPad 2 will remain high at 14-15 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011 but decline to 4-5 million units in the first quarter of 2012, paving the way for the launch of the new iPads, the sources noted.

Volume production is expected to start in February and reach 9.5-9.8 million units in the first quarter of 2012.

March or April should come as no surprise to regular Apple followers. While Apple first announced the original iPad in Jan 2010, the company didn't start shipping the first units to customers until April. In 2011, the iPad 2 was announced around the same time of year.

The iPad 3 is widely expected to carry a high resolution "Retina" display.

Top Rated Comments

cvaldes Avatar
162 months ago
Is this news?
No, it's a rumor.

If you want news, please consult www.apple.com.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AJH1993 Avatar
162 months ago
Is this news?

Yes, AND rumors you care about.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
haruhiko Avatar
162 months ago
Yes, AND rumors you care about.

Haha...

I thought that everyone knows that a new iPad is coming in March or April.....
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
haruhiko Avatar
162 months ago
Is this news?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NightFox Avatar
162 months ago
Cool. I guess now is probably the best time for me to sell my iPad 2 while it still holds very high resale prices & then wait about 3 more months to buy the upcoming iPad 3 with "retina" display. :D

Don't mean to sound rude, but how much do you really need the latest iPad if you can comfortably manage 3+ months without one?

Just curious :confused:
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
splashman Avatar
162 months ago
Will Apple do same with iPad as with iPhone? Sell both models simultaneously?

Two questions:

1) Will Apple sell iPad2 and iPad3 simultaneously, with the iPad2 being the value choice (like iPhone4 or 3GS)? Or will they drop the iPad2 and sell only the iPad3?

Given what they've done with the iPhone, I'm thinking they'll sell both models. Lots of people would be satisfied without a Retina Display, and would prefer to pay less. And lots of folks would gladly pay more for the premium product -- especially business users, who are used to paying a lot for tricked-out laptops.

2) If Apple does sell both models at the same time, will they drop the price of the entry-level iPad2 below $499 (to, for instance, $399) and sell the entry-level iPad3 for $499? Or will they keep the iPad2 at $499 and price the iPad3 higher -- say $599 or $649?

This one I'm less sure about. We know that Apple's margin on the iPad2 is slimmer than their other products, so it's not a foregone conclusion that they'd drop the price on iPad2 like they did on the older iPhones. But given that they have precious little competition so far, they might decide an aggressive move to grab share now will pay dividends later, given the lock-in factor (music and apps).
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

General Apps Messages

iMessage Down for Some Users [Update: Service Restored]

Thursday May 16, 2024 3:00 pm PDT by
The iMessage service that Apple users to send messages to one another appears to be down for some users, and messages are failing to go out or are taking an extra long time to send. There are numerous reports about the issue on social networks and a spike of outage reports on Down Detector, but Apple's System Status page is not yet reporting an outage. Update: Apple's status page says...
iOS 17

Troubling iOS 17.5 Bug Reportedly Resurfacing Old Deleted Photos

Wednesday May 15, 2024 5:29 am PDT by
There are concerning reports on Reddit that Apple's latest iOS 17.5 update has introduced a bug that causes old photos that were deleted – in some cases years ago – to reappear in users' photo libraries. After updating their iPhone, one user said they were shocked to find old NSFW photos that they deleted in 2021 suddenly showing up in photos marked as recently uploaded to iCloud. Other...
iphone 15 pro max vs iphone 16 pro max

iPhone 16 Pro Max Looks This Much Bigger Beside iPhone 15 Pro Max

Thursday May 16, 2024 4:51 am PDT by
This year's upcoming iPhone 16 Pro Max is expected to get a boost in overall size from 6.7-inches to 6.9-inches, and a new image gives us a good idea of how the current iPhone 15 Pro Max compares to what could be Apple's largest ever iPhone. The image above, posted on X by ZONEofTECH, shows a dummy model representing the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max alongside an actual iPhone 15 Pro Max. Dummy...
iOS 17

iOS 17.5 Bug May Also Resurface Deleted Photos on Wiped, Sold Devices

Friday May 17, 2024 12:24 pm PDT by
A bug in iOS 17.5 is apparently causing photos that have been deleted to reappear, and the issue seems to impact even iPhones and iPads that have been erased and sold off to other people. A Reddit user wiped an iPad following Apple's guidelines in September of 2023 before selling it off to a friend. That friend updated the iPad to iPadOS 17.5 this week, and began seeing the Reddit user's old ...
oled m4 ipad pro grainy display reports

OLED iPad Pro Users Report 'Grainy' Displays, But It May Not Be a Defect

Friday May 17, 2024 5:57 am PDT by
Some new M4 iPad Pro models are exhibiting a visible static grain pattern across the OLED display, according to several user reports on Reddit (1, 2, 3) and the MacRumors Forums. Image credit: MacRumors user bk215 Users who see the grain generally report that it is most noticeable in dark environments with the display set at a low to medium brightness while viewing content with gray or muted...
Delta Hands On Feature

iPhone Emulators on the App Store: Game Boy, N64, PS1, PSP, and More

Thursday May 16, 2024 12:45 pm PDT by
In April, Apple updated its guidelines to allow retro game emulators on the App Store, and several popular emulators have already been released. The emulators released so far allow iPhone users to play games released for older consoles from Nintendo, Sony, SEGA, Atari, and others. A list of some popular emulators available on the App Store so far follows. Released Delta Delta is...