RUMOR: iPAD 3 COMING IN 3 - 4 MONTHS

According to a report on DigiTimes The next generation iPads are expected to be available in the next 3-4 months. DigiTimes reports that makers in the supply chain have started delivering parts and components for the new tablets to OEM contractors while reducing those prepared for iPad 2, according to sources in the supply chain.

Reportedly, Foxconn Electronics will begin to produce the next-generation iPads in January and to ramp up the production volume starting February

RUMOR: NEXT iPAD COMING IN MARCH, iPAD 3 TO LAUNCH Q3 2012

Apple is preparing to launch a slightly upgraded iPad 2 in March of 2012, DigiTimes reported on Thursday. The new iPad is rumored to be thinner and is said to offer better battery life than the current model. It is unclear what Apple will call the device launching in March, but the company reportedly has plans to launch a “real” iPad 3 during the third quarter of 2012. Samsung, Sharp and LG are said to be working on a new Retina Display for the next-generation iPad, which may also pack a faster A6 processor, but rumors of manufacturing issues have suggested it may take Apple longer than originally planned to introduce a model with that equipment.

A report last month from Ticonderoga Securities suggested that Apple is planning a cheaper iPad model that will debut early next year ahead of an iPad 3, which won’t launch until the second quarter.

iPAD3 PRODUCTION RAMPING UP

According to Jeffery Fidacaro of Susquahanna Financial Group, Apple has ordered up to 1 million iPad3s for the fourth calendar quarter. Christopher Caso, also of Susquahanna, says "Our checks indicate that iPad 3 has now shown up on AAPL’s production forecast for a late-4Q production start." The iPad3 is expected to begin rolling out the second quarter of next year, which is in line with previous iPad launches

It is unknown at this time if this is truely the iPad3 or the heavily rumored mini-iPad. Last week, Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White said that Apple will unveil a new entry-level “iPad mini” in the first quarter of 2012. The new tablet will not necessarily be an iPad with a smaller form factor, White’s checks found, but rather a lower price tag likely in the mid to high-$200 range.

RUMOR: APPLE iPAD 3 DELAYED UNTIL 2012

Digitimes reports that Apple’s plans for a Retina Display iPad launch this fall have been terminated; if they even existed in the first place. According to the report’s sources, Apple’s initial plan was to produce 1.5-2 million units in the third quarter and 5-6 million in the fourth quarter of a new iPad, but these orders have apparently been cancelled.

The report also believes that plans for the new product’s launch were cancelled due to yield rate issues in the production of the 2048 x 1536 Retina Display. Apple will likely stick to their annual release cycle and release a Retina Display iPad during spring 2012.

APPLE KILLS iPAD 3 RUMORS

There were several rumors floating around the Internet that pointed to a possible release of an iPad 3 later this year, but thankfully now that the iPad 2 is here we don’t have to worry too much about such rumors. That’s mainly because the Apple press conference I have just watched had Steve Jobs state that 2010 was the year of the iPad and 2011 will be the year of the iPad 2, so the corporate is going to focus primarily on the new model. This veiled reference discounts the rumors of the iPad 3 being launched out of cycle.

iPAD 3 WILL BE THE REAL UPGRADE

The iPad 2 is set to be unveiled today, but according to an Apple insider this is not the tablet to get giddy over, the iPad 3 will be. According to the source the iPad 2 is just a minor update to the existing iPad with no real improvements except for the dual cameras for FaceTime.

“For the iPad 2 don’t get your hopes up too high. That’s all I’m going to say,” the Apple employee is quoted as having said. “They’ve had a number of problems along the way, and the third-generation iPad is the one to make a song and a dance about.” The chatty rep gave no hints as far as a timeline for the iPad 3 — Apple typically releases an iOS device roughly a year after its predecessor, but several rumors have suggested we may see a third-generation iPad launch this fall.