Wall Street Journal Confirms Early 2012 iPad 3 with Retina Display

123254 ipad 4 2 profile

In case you still had doubts, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple is indeed working on its next generation iPad for early 2012. The newspaper also seems to confirm the 2048x1536 Retina display that has been long rumored.

The next generation iPad is expected to feature a high resolution display - 2048 by 1536 compared with 1024 by 768 in the iPad 2 - and Apple's suppliers have already shipped small quantities of components for the sampling of the iPad 3. Suppliers said Apple has placed orders for a 9.7-inch screen device.

According to "people familiar with the situation", Apple is aiming to launch the iPad 3 in early 2012.

The Wall Street Journal's sources also indicate that a trial run will begin in October and that Apple has already started placing orders for many of the key components for the next iPad.

While the report doesn't seem to add much new information, it does add a more credible voice to the rumors coming out of China about Apple's iPad 3.

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket Now Available to Order, But Already Selling Out

Friday November 14, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
Tim Cook WWDC 2018

Report: Tim Cook to Step Down as Apple CEO 'as Soon as Next Year'

Saturday November 15, 2025 2:40 pm PST by
Apple is preparing for Tim Cook to step down as CEO of the company "as soon as next year," according to the Financial Times. The company's board of directors and senior executives "recently intensified preparations for Cook to hand over the reins," the report said. While the report said that Apple is unlikely to name a new CEO before its next earnings report in late January, it went on to ...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's 2026 Mac Plans

Friday November 14, 2025 3:23 pm PST by
Most of Apple's Macs are slated to get M5 chips across 2026, and there's a possibility we'll even see the first M6 chips toward the end of the year. Updates are planned for everything from the MacBook Air to the Mac Studio. MacBook Air (Early 2026) The MacBook Air will be one of the first Macs to get a 2026 refresh, with an update planned for the first few months of the year. The MacBook...
walmart new ornametns

Walmart Black Friday Deals Begin Today With Low Prices on Headphones, TVs, and More

Friday November 14, 2025 7:55 am PST by
Walmart's Black Friday sale has officially kicked off today, with an online shopping event that's also seeing some matching deals in retail locations. There are quite a few major discounts in this sale, including savings on headphones, TVs, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Walmart. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us...
best early black friday deals

Best Black Friday Apple Deals Live Now - Save on AirPods, iPads, and Apple Watches

Saturday November 15, 2025 1:45 pm PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...

Top Rated Comments

miles01110 Avatar
186 months ago
At this point I don't know why anyone would expect there to not be a retina display.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jmpnop Avatar
186 months ago
New iPad featuring a higher-res screen in early 2012? Thats obvious...
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FrHa Avatar
186 months ago
and I was thinking of purchasing an iPad 2 this weekend...

You should buy one. I doubt the iPad3 is going to come out this year. I'm almost certain the iPad3 will be out next year in February or March. If I'm right, that means you'll have to wait six or seven months. And anyway, when the new iPad comes out, you can just sell the iPad2 you'd already have :)
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tdream Avatar
186 months ago
Hardly a great leap of faith by WSJ to believe that. iPad 2 was out in March this year so 9-12 months later is perfectly fine for the next iteration.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mabaker Avatar
186 months ago
I also predict iPhone 5 this fall.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
santaliqueur Avatar
186 months ago

I'd expect the low-end Retina iPad 3 (16GB without 3G) to cost at least as much as the high-end iPad 2 (64GB with 3G). I mean, I'd love to see the Retina version to replace the current product line at the same price level, but let's be realistic here: That's just not possible.

Then you don't follow Apple very much. They normally keep prices the same, and introduce new features. Technology gets cheaper as time passes. How were they able to make the iPad 2 at the same price as the iPad, when they included 2 cameras, a much faster A5 processor, and made it 33% thinner? Same price as the older one. Magic, or simply the price of everything getting cheaper?

You seriously expect the base 16GB iPad 3 to be MORE THAN $829? Not being rude, but are you new to computers?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)