Next iPad Coming March, But "Real iPad 3" Not Until Q3 2012?

[MacRumors]

On-again, off-again, industry publication Digitimes is claiming that Apple's next iPad will enter mass production soon and will launch in March 2012. The catch is that according to their sources, this new iPad product is not seen by Apple as an iPad 3, but instead an upgraded iPad 2. Instead they say "the real iPad 3" won't be launched until the 3rd quarter of 2012 at the earliest.

​

The publication provides no distinction as to what qualifies as a "real iPad 3", but does claim that this interim iPad 2 upgrade will be thinner than the iPad 2 and offer longer battery life.

The most obvious distinction, though not mentioned in the article, could come from the use of a ultra-high resolution Retina display. Talk of a such a display has been ongoing for months, but the most recent reports indicate that Apple's suppliers are finding it challenge to produce such high density displays.

Digitimes has been particularly prolific in the past year with their rumors, but have become particularly spotty in their accuracy. While plans could have obviously changed, their previous iPad 3 report claimed a Fall 2011 launch. So, take this new report with some skepticism. That said, an ultra high resolution iPad-sized Retina display could easily be the production bottleneck for Apple's plans.

Article Link: Next iPad Coming March, But "Real iPad 3" Not Until Q3 2012?

 

[ihav0frnds]

ipad 2s !

the S is for siri

 

[gramirez2012]

iPad 2S?

 

[chrono1081]

Hardly surprising if its true. I didn't expect a retina display of that size that can be powered by a device like the iPad to ever come out by spring. (If it does I'll be insanely impressed).

 

[Illuminated]

THINNER?

 

[puckhead193]

thinner? where will they put everything?

 

[PDFierro]

Now let's see how many people slam Apple this time for failing to make a big upgrade, or not believe the rumors that a small upgrade is coming and not a big one.

 

[ajvizzgamer101]

iPad 2s? "s" is the new "i"

 

[dave420]

Does this mean everyone has decided the current iPad 2 is the "real" iPad 2? I remember some debate about that earlier this year.

 

[Eso]

Isn't this the same exact rumor from a year ago?

 

[nuckinfutz]

iPad 2 Refresh =

Faster processor
Sizes 32/64/128GB
Much better camera
Bluetooth 4.0
Siri
Q1 2012

iPad 3 =

Quad Core processor
Retina Display
LTE World Cellular
Every model has Cellular
2013

 

[DotCom2]

How many times is this same stupid rumor going to be recycled?
For the hundredth time, Apple doesn't do stuff like that!
PERIOD!

 

[KPOM]

I can't see them coming out with an "iPad 2S" in March, and then an iPad 3 update 6 months later. More likely they will just delay the launch of the iPad 3 until it is ready. I think they might have a software update to bring Siri, and perhaps bring out a cheaper iPad to combat the Kindle Fire and the wave of cheap Android tablets, though.

 

[MorphingDragon]

Change the iPad back to the iPad 1 version. iPad 2's back looks ugly.

 

[Skarkroe]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/9A334)

Seriously? Why do things like this get credibility? Look at the history, the next iPad will be a major upgrade, the iPad 2 was the minor upgrade and Apple will NEVER release two iPads in one year. The profit is much larger on a full year product run. Some of these rumours are so stupid.

 

[nagromme]

When it comes, whatever the name, a tiny but howling minority will be VERY hung up on the name, and the shape being similar... and not on the actual upgrade being delivered Don’t ask me why I predict such a thing...

But I agree: it seems to soon for the retina display I dream of. AND for the GPU/RAM to drive such a thing! AND for the battery to power that GPU and RAM. All while still matching the iPad’s battery life and exceeding its performance despite 4x the pixels? AND being cheap enough? AND all of this being able to be produced in staggering quantities, so that the upgrade doesn’t actually HURT sales? Huge challenges, I’d say. Give them time.

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/9A334)

Seriously? Why do things like this get credibility? Look at the history, the next iPad will be a major upgrade, the iPad 2 was the minor upgrade and Apple will NEVER release two iPads in one year. The profit is much larger on a full year product run. Some of these rumours are so stupid.

The past doesn’t predict the future that precisely: the iPad market, and Apple’s position here, is like nothing before seen. You’re right, they wouldn’t WANT to release two iPad in one year, but it might be the best option that reality gives them. And if branded as a minor update, it could work out fine for them. Your reasoning is sound, but the bigger picture may force Apple’s hand to some extent. (In fact, I’d almost expect the thickness to remain the same: only internal improvements.)

And Apple has sometimes released more updates to a product in a short time than you’d expect. It’s not the norm, but not unheard of. Apple has many priorities, but I’m sure that following the “rule” of minor/major alternation is not a big one. (And I’d call the iPad 2 much more than a "minor” anyway—maybe we’ll simple see steady evolution going forward.)

 

[doug in albq]

THINNER?

No kidding! They better find a way to round the edges of the device somewhat. The current iPad is a bit uncomfortable to hold because the edges are "sharp."

 

[spectre51]

How many times is this same stupid rumor going to be recycled?
For the hundredth time, Apple doesn't do stuff like that!
PERIOD!

I agree. Apple is not going to release two new iPad or two iPhone revisions in the same year. Though I hope this iPad isn't just a incremental update.

 

[Obi-Wan Kubrick]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

Yeah it doesn't need to be any thinner.

 

[Spectrum Abuser]

And once again these 'sources' are throwing the same exact BS they tried this year. Wasn't the iPad 3 'supposed' to come out in September? What happened to that? I swear some people just start rumors to feel important.

 

[hayden1250]

I agree with others. I highly doubt a new iPad 3 would come out 6 months after the rumored "iPad 2S". Apple doesn't do that sort of stuff.

 

[MartiNZ]

iPad 2s? "s" is the new "i"

sPad 1 then .

This seems a shame, but I guess as others have said, realistic, and reality is like that ><.

 

[nagromme]

And once again these 'sources' are throwing the same exact BS they tried this year. Wasn't the iPad 3 'supposed' to come out in September? What happened to that? I swear some people just start rumors to feel important.

Or to get ad clicks!

This feels like pure speculation to me, not real info. A good guess, I’d say, but still purely a guess. (And even if it has a kernel of real info, that info could change.)

Still, discussing these rumors/guesses as they spill out is what we’re here to have fun doing

 

[_Matt]

The iPad 3 will come out in the first four months of 2012. It will be a major redesign, and there will not be another iPad release the same year. Apple has figured it out product cycle and profit wise.

 

[bdkennedy1]

The Retina display probably delayed the iPad 3 and the iPad 2s is taking it's place to help shun any losses from the first quarter.