Apple could unveil the iPad 3 March 7, if invitations sent to media are any indication. The tablet will supposedly feature a higher-resolution screen.
Apple will host an
iPad-related event March 7.
We have something you
really have to see. And touch, reads the invitation sent to the media, which
includes an image of a finger touching the calendar app (conveniently set to
Wednesday the 7th) on an iPad screen.
For some weeks, the rumor
mill has buzzed eagerly over reports that Apple would release the next iPad
(dubbed iPad 3 by the media) sometime in the first week of March. Other rumors
have focused on the next-generation tablets possible features, including a
high-resolution screen (in a Feb. 9 article,
AllThingsD
pegged the resolution at 2,048 by 1,536), as well as a more powerful processor
and camera.
Meanwhile, some tech
retailers have begun to lower their iPad 2 prices, a traditional indicator that
the release of a new version is indeed imminent.
All
of Best Buys models have taken a $50 haircut irrespective of memory
capacity and options.
The iPad 3 itself could cost
a premium over the current version, at least according to a pricing sheet that
appeared on Chinese microblog
Sina Weibo. The iPad
3 costs $80 more for the equivalent WiFi models,
concludedMacRumors, which drilled down into
the sheets particulars in a Feb. 27 posting, and $70 more for the equivalent
3G models.
Throughout 2011, other
slates have plunged into the tablet arena with huge advertising budgets and the
stated aim of becoming an iPad killer, only to find apathetic customers and a
general lack of buzz. This year could prove a little different on the
competitive front, as Microsoft gears up to release Windows 8 on tablets and
the various Google Android manufacturers adjust their strategies and product
lines.
The iPad 3 might not be the
only trick up Apples sleeve next week. The blog
9to5Mac
is reporting that Apple will release an updated Apple TV alongside the new
tablet. The new Apple TV is rumored to include a faster processor, possibly a
variation of the dual-core A5 chip, added the Feb. 28 posting, which cited
anonymous sources supposedly familiar with the matter. The dual-core A5 chip
has been said to be required for the Apple TV to finally stream 1,080p quality
video, but Apple is also working on an A5X chip that is dual-core, which also
includes an improved graphics engine.
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