Apple 'to announce iPad 3 on March 7'
Tim Cook, Apple's chief executive, introduces the iPhone 4S last year. Photo: Getty Images
APPLE’S new iPad will have a faster processor, an improved display and will be announced in the first week of March, according to reports.
The new tablet will be announced on Wednesday, March 7, according to Apple blog iMore, which cites "sources who have been reliable in the past".
The blog says it can confirm reports that the iPad 3 will have a quad-core processor, something that had been disputed by other sources, but it is not certain whether the new device will have LTE compatibility.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the forthcoming iPad will have LTE capability. The paper reported that "people familiar with the matter" said Apple was preparing an LTE version for the Verizon and AT&T networks in the US. The Wall Street Journal also claims that Apple is testing a version of the iPad that has a smaller screen than the current model.
LTE, which offers faster data speeds than 3G, is not available in the UK and even within the US coverage is limited. iMore says LTE is likely to be included in the next iPhone but may not figure in the iPad 3.
A flurry of rumours, from a range have sources, say that the new iPad will have a 'retina display' - that is, an improved screen resolution delivering 2048 x 1536 pixels.
Last week, The Next Web said that Apple had gone into 'crunch mode', making the final preparations before launching the iPad 3. The blog said Apple was finalising its launch presentation and deciding which apps to demonstrate and show off in new advertisements.
Apple has not yet announced any plans for a launch event and never comments on new devices before they are officially unveiled.
However, the company typically updates its products every year on a fairly strict schedule. The iPad 2 was announced on March 2 last year and went on sale a week or so later.
Plenty of questions still remain about the iPad 3, though as the expected launch draws closer we are likely to hear more rumours. It's also not clear, for example, whether the new iPad will have improved cameras, increased storage capacity or Siri - Apple's voice-controlled personal assistant.
Even the name is in question, with some suggesting that Apple could choose a name that reflects the improved screen resolution, such as 'iPad HD'.
- Shane Richmond
© Telegraph.co.uk
