New iPad to be Called 'iPad HD' and Not 'iPad 3'?

ipad 3 event invite

CNet claims that the next iPad that is due to be announced on Wednesday will be named "iPad HD".

A developer who's previously provided reliable information with respect to things Apple and otherwise tells us the next iPad uses the HD moniker instead of going with "iPad 3."

The next generation iPad has been referenced as the "iPad 3" in most reports as a natural successor to the iPad 2 which was released last year.

Some case-makers have already started referencing the new device as the "iPad HD" though we were skeptical about their knowledge of Apple's plans. However, CNet's report and a similar report from VentureBeat suggests that iPad HD may well be the name.

The name was first predicted in a rumor from July, 2011. In that report by This Is My Next (now TheVerge), the author claimed the "iPad HD" would be a high-end device aimed more at professionals. The most recent rumors, however, have suggested the new device will arrive at the same price points as the current iPad 2.

Apple will be holding their media event on Wed, March 7th.

Related Roundup: iPad
Tag: CNET
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Three Months With These 12 New Features

Saturday June 14, 2025 5:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of June 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a...
apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Monday June 16, 2025 8:45 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...
Logitech Logo Feature

Logitech Announces Two New Accessories for WWDC

Friday June 13, 2025 7:22 am PDT by
Alongside WWDC this week, Logitech announced notable new accessories for the iPad and Apple Vision Pro. The Logitech Muse is a spatially-tracked stylus developed for use with the Apple Vision Pro. Introduced during the WWDC 2025 keynote address, Muse is intended to support the next generation of spatial computing workflows enabled by visionOS 26. The device incorporates six degrees of...
iPadOS 26 App Windowing

Apple Explains Why iPads Don't Just Run macOS

Friday June 13, 2025 7:46 am PDT by
iPadOS 26 allows iPads to function much more like Macs, with a new app windowing system, a swipe-down menu bar at the top of the screen, and more. However, Apple has stopped short of allowing iPads to run macOS, and it has now explained why. In an interview this week with Swiss tech journalist Rafael Zeier, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi said that iPadOS 26's new Mac-like ...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday June 12, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
terminal macos tahoe

Apple's Terminal App Gets Colorful Redesign in macOS Tahoe

Monday June 16, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's Terminal app is getting a visual refresh in macOS Tahoe, and it's the first notable design update since the command-line tool debuted. The updated Terminal will support 24-bit color and Powerline fonts, according to Apple's State of the Platforms presentation at WWDC25. The app will also adopt the new Liquid Glass aesthetic with redesigned themes that align with macOS 26's broader...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
iOS 26 Feature

Apple Seeds Revised iOS 26 Developer Beta to Fix Battery Issue

Friday June 13, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple today provided developers with a revised version of the first iOS 26 beta for testing purposes. The update is only available for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models, so if you're running iOS 26 on an iPhone 14 or earlier, you won't see the revised beta. Registered developers can download the new beta software through the Settings app on each device. The revised beta addresses an...

Top Rated Comments

ProVideo Avatar
173 months ago
It makes a lot of sense.
Apple won't want to keep naming their products by numbers, what if they get to something like the iPad 14. Just sounds silly.

At iPad 10, they just call all models after as iPad X and then tag them with the species name of different primates.
Score: 48 Votes (Like | Disagree)
troop231 Avatar
173 months ago
But Apple already designates "HD" for iPhone apps modified for iPad.

This wouldn't bode well for continuity's sake.
Apple doesn't do this, it's the developers that add the 'HD' moniker to their iPad apps.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wiz329 Avatar
173 months ago
Why not just drop the numbering scheme on all of the iOS devices? How dumb would macbook pro 4 sound? Just make it the iPad and iPhone.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
S.B.G Avatar
173 months ago
iPad 3 or iPad HD... makes no difference to me. Just hurry up and release it so I can give Apple my money for it! :D
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tremlock Avatar
173 months ago
I say go for iPad touch , this way everyone is confused.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nukemkb Avatar
173 months ago
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

:p
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)