As Apple prepare for a big announcement at the end of the month, the Apple rumour mill has gone into overdrive, spurred on by statements and coverage emerging from CES 2012.
The biggest story comes from Bloomberg who quote a source from the iPad Asia production line – Apple use several manufacturer and distribution partners in the east, including Foxconn Technology Group during the production process.
The source claims the iPad 3 will feature a quad-core processor (thought to be the A6) coupled with a Retina Display style screen and LTE functionality. The source also claims that a March launch has been confirmed by Apple.
Next up is iLounge Editor Jeremy Horwitz who claims to have had hands-on time with the new iPad 3 prior to CES 2012 – his statements suggest that the new iPad features a major screen upgrade and contemplates whether the new iPad will carry the ‘iPad 3’ name at launch. The screen upgrade is seen as a direct response to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus which features the world’s first ‘true’ HD screen – you can read more in our Samsung Galaxy Nexus review.
Horwitz also claims that the iPad 3 is marginally thicker than the iPad 2 (said to be due to the dual-light bar for the enhanced display) and features a new camera lens, hinting at a camera upgrade – an area where many tablets lose out to smartphones. Interestingly, Reghardware has details of iPad 2 screen production orders, showing that Apple expect continued demand for iPad 2 post March.
Mobile World Congress kicks off on February 27th and the world’s biggest mobile show is expected to see the first quad-core tablet out of the gate but not from Apple. HTC are prepping a high-end tablet, currently going under the name of ‘Quattro’ which will ensure that the next phase of the tablet war will start in a matter of weeks…