iPad 3 to be announced on March 7, cites report

A lot of rumours and speculations regarding the upcoming iPad have been making the rounds, for a while now, but these rumours have gathered a fair amount of steam in the past few weeks. The latest and most interesting news came a few days back, when a report surfaced citing that Apple would make the iPad 3 announcement during the first week of March. So, those eagerly waiting to know more about this device should pencil in March 7th on their 2012 calendar, as a report by iMore indicates that this will be day the next generation iPad will be announced.

The announcement date expected to fall in the first week of March

As per the report, reliable sources have informed them that the next tablet from Apple will be announced on Wednesday, the 7th of March, 2012. The source has also informed them that the slate will feature a resolution of 2048 x 1536, making it a Retina Display and the iPad 3 will also feature a quad-core Apple A6 system-on-a-chip, and possibly 4G LTE networking. In the past, there was only a tentative time frame, but since there is a date, it keeps in line with the AllThingsD report that the tablet would be announced in the first week of March.

With regard to specifications, the website notes features which were already mentioned in the past like the resolution, quad-core processor and 4G LTE capabilities. The report states, “4G LTE networking has been another mystery surrounding the iPad 3, with a compatible Qualcomm chipset becoming available, but international LTE coverage is still slim, and in some cases a year or more away. It sounds like Apple has 4G LTE lined up for iPhone 5 this October, but we’re still not certain if the iPad 3 will get it earlier. Verizon is going to want iOS devices that go faster than 2-3mbps, of course, especially with AT&T offering HSPA 14.4, and potentially faster, models. Apple could release a 4G LTE variant model, targeted at Verizon, AT&T, Rogers, Bell, and other carriers that have rolled out enough support to see demand, or they could wait and debut it in the next iPhone instead.”

Let us know your thoughts on the possible announcement date of the iPad 3 and do you think that 2012 will be year of the upcoming iPad or will the competition have the last laugh.