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Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March

By | February 9, 2012, 5:50am PST

Summary: According to sources familiar with the matter, Apple is set to announce the next-generation iPad at an event in March.

Sources close to the company said that while Apple is not planning to hold an event in February, it will in March. Expected at the event is the long awaited arrival of the iPad 3. That is, according to AllThingsD.

It appears to be in line with recent reports that manufacturers were building and increasing production of the device in its factories in China.

DigiTimes suggested late last year that the iPad 2 would decline in production from 14–15 million devices in the fourth quarter by a third to 4–5 million by the first quarter. It is thought that over 9 million units of the iPad 3 will be made by the first quarter, filling the deficit left by the tablet’s predecessor, in anticipation of an second quarter release.

Many have guestimated that the iPad 3 — that is, if it will in fact be called that — will be slightly thicker to accommodate a larger battery, which in turn would power possibly 4G LTE technologies for faster mobile broadband, and a Retina display — or “something close to it”.

But for now, we know as much about the iPad 3 as we do about Martian dust. We know it is in existence, but it continues to amaze even the most intellectually-minded people this world has to offer.

An Apple spokesperson declined to comment. No surprise there.

Image source: Avijeet Sachdev/Flickr.

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Topics

Apple iPad 3, Apple iPad, Apple Inc., Zack Whittaker

Zack Whittaker, a criminologist who studied at the University of Kent, Canterbury, is a journalist, writer and broadcaster.

Disclosure

Zack Whittaker

I worked briefly with Microsoft UK in 2006 but no longer have any connection with the company. Regardless, I remain impartial and unbiased in my views.

I don't hold any stock or shares, investments or industrial secrets in any company, but have signed confidentiality agreements with a number of UK and U.S. organisations, whose names I am not at liberty to disclose.

I was involved with Kent Union, the University of Kent's student union, undertaking voluntary, non-salaried, elected positions between early 2009 and mid-2010.

No other company, body, government department, non-governmental organisation or third sector organisation employs me or pays me a salary in any capacity whatsoever.

As a freelance journalist, whenever expenses are given and taken by a company that is not CBS Interactive, these will be disclosed in each relevant post to ensure transparency.

I currently work with a UK law enforcement unit, but this is an entirely separate position which bears no connection to other work.

(Updated: 23rd October 2011)

Biography

Zack Whittaker

Zack Whittaker, criminologist who studied at the University of Kent, UK, is a journalist, writer and broadcaster.

After studying criminology at university, though still in his early-20's, he has already had a series unconventional work and voluntary positions. He has worked with researchers studying neurological illnesses like Tourette's syndrome (which he suffers from), has given lectures on the nature of disabilities in the public community, and occasionally ends up speaking on television and radio discussing the events of the day.

He first had academic work published at the age of 22, then still an undergraduate, and has been cited by a wide range of publications: from CNN, the Huffington Post, AllThingsDigital, The Atlantic Wire and CBS News.

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RE: Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March
BillDem 13th Feb
@global.philosopher My 3G iPad 2 already has plenty of battery life. In a day of average use, I only use about 30% of the battery. I can go a couple days between charges without any trouble.

The biggest reason they might need to add a bigger battery is if they add 4G LTE. Those chips eat batteries like candy. If they move to 4G, the iPad 3 will likely get fatter and heavier. Personally, it's not worth the tradeoff. I would much prefer a retina display, better cameras, and a quad core CPU. Those will have minimal impact on battery life, weight, and thickness.
View in thread
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RE: Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March
thejellymon 9th Feb
Better form factor, retina display, and quad-core. Can't imagine much else they would do. Cameras will probably make a marginal improvement.
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RE: Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March
global.philosopher 9th Feb
@thejellymon
Better battery life is the killer feature. Imagine if the tablet didn't change at all but it could last 24 hours (a complete day) no matter what you do on it.
Who cares about retina display...nice to have but won't change how you use it. Same as quad-core processors.
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RE: Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March
BillDem 13th Feb
@global.philosopher My 3G iPad 2 already has plenty of battery life. In a day of average use, I only use about 30% of the battery. I can go a couple days between charges without any trouble.

The biggest reason they might need to add a bigger battery is if they add 4G LTE. Those chips eat batteries like candy. If they move to 4G, the iPad 3 will likely get fatter and heavier. Personally, it's not worth the tradeoff. I would much prefer a retina display, better cameras, and a quad core CPU. Those will have minimal impact on battery life, weight, and thickness.
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RE: Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March
lippidp 9th Feb
Thicker? No way. That flies in the face of everything Apple stands for. Every new device MUST be thinner. Apple is thin-obsessed. It's the new American dream to get thinner, faster, better every year!
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No thinner is not in Apple's case an obsession but a rational
James Quinn 9th Feb
@lippidp... realization that thin and light equal improved mobility. Thick and heavy equals desktop or at the very least a device that is less qualified to be a mobile device. If not why did we not stop development of mobile devices with the famous Osborne? At it's time it was cool and kind of mobile for a suitcase that is:)

Pagan jim
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RE: Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March
owlnet 9th Feb
"We know it is in existence, but it continues to amaze even the most intellectually-minded people this world has to offer. "

- What a stupid statement. People with intelligence are not much interested in utterly ovepriced apple devices.
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RE: Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March
Peter Perry 9th Feb
@owlnet Wait, what?, didn't you used to drink the Kook-aid?

I agree though, I don't know many people who are amazed by something they have never seen.
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And yet here you are:) You and Owlnet had to come
James Quinn Updated - 9th Feb
@Peter Perry ... and post snarky comments (Koolaid) anyone? You both knew there would be no actual details in this article about the iPad 3 as is Apple's long established policies regarding new product. You knew the article was Apple related however and you could not help yourself. You are not a fan of Apple so what drives you? Could it be emotional like hatred? I can't say for sure but I think it does point to a problem.

Pagan jim
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RE: Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March
techboy_z 9th Feb
@owlnet I thought it was a stupid statement for entirely different reasons. The context was "we don't know much about it yet" -- so how can it amaze anyone, intellectual or not? And, "intellectually-minded"? That's the wrong part of speech -- a person who has someone else minding them, and doing so in an intellectual way is what that literally means. And it is just plain hard-to-read writing as well. The dearth of highly-qualified journalists, capable of writing grammatically correct and understandable, is lamentable!
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RE: Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March
pupkin_z 9th Feb
@owlnet it is not stupid because it is not even a statement. Something is missing in this stentence, and it has no meaning in its present form. I agree with some other comments here that it is pathetic that out of ten sentences in the text, one is grammatically wrong.
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RE: Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March
RickBullotta 9th Feb
Maybe it will actually have a properly functioning WiFi chipset, unlike the iPad and iPad 2....
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RE: Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March
pc boss 9th Feb
I don't know about you but my Ipad 2's WIFI chipset works just fine. Even the 3GS works fine too.
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I hear there are going to be protests about Apple's manufacturing policies
William Farrel 9th Feb
I wonder if they will try to stage them the same day the iPad3 is going to be released.
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Wow - It looks like you get flagged if you offer a negative comment
William Farrel 9th Feb
@William Farrel
or ask a legitimate question that may place Apple in an undesirable light.

And people claimed that Vilolet Blue was so wrong, ther's no such thing as an "Apple Zealot". wink
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I for did not flag you... but to be certain it is not Apple's
James Quinn 9th Feb
@William Farrel... manufacturing policie by rather EVERYONE's manufacturing policies:P Just because Apple is doing a better job of making money (something every single business large, medium and or small is suppose to do it is the reason they exist) does not mean Apple has some sort of EXTRA obligation to this issue. If you win a race consistently does not mean you should be forced to wear a backpack with a 100 extra lbs to give the other contestants a fare shake. That is the thing with being better it is what it is.

Pagan jim
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James, Quinn
William Farrel Updated - 9th Feb
@William Farrel

I didn't say you flagged me, not at all.

I was just pointing out that a couple of people on this sites just randomlly flag anything they view as anti-Apple.

They can't have that, no way!

I only asked that as they where talking on the news this morning that people are putting together a protest against Apple, in reference to the issues at Foxconn.

I was just curious as to when they where going to do it, wondering if they would wait until the iPad 3 launch, that's all.
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RE: Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March
Loverock Davidson- 9th Feb
Talk about the upgrade treadmill, paying out $700 every year just to get a new iPad seems quite silly.
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That assumes that everyone who bought the original iPad
James Quinn 9th Feb
@Loverock Davidson- ... bought the iPad 2 and is planning on purchasing the iPad 3. Of course that is not the case. And Apple sales of the iPad has been growing so it can not be simply the same people over and over again. New people come to the iPad daily. Is it me or is this snarky comment day and no one told me!?!

Pagan jim
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RE: Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March
Loverock Davidson- 9th Feb
@James Quinn
I'm assuming correctly and that is the case.
  • Flagged
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RE: Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March
PollyProteus 9th Feb
@James Quinn

Jim, I know lots of people who have gotten every iPhone and both iPads when each device is released. They actually get all in a tizzy and nearly wet themselves with anger and disappointment when they have trouble finding one and are upset when their friends get one before them.
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OK how many people 10, 20, more?
James Quinn 9th Feb
@PollyProteus ... and statistically of the many millions sold what is that? Apple keeps selling more than it did before with each model so even "IF" every single iPad purchases ran out and bought an iPad 2 that would still not explain the actual increase in sales occurring. I doubt that such happened by the ay and if you have proof more than say even the 100 people you might know who did then again I say fail.

Pagan jim
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I doubt it but go ahead and present proof of such.
James Quinn Updated - 9th Feb
@Loverock Davidson- If you can or dare:) Still even that would not explain why there have been more sales of the iPad 2 than the original iPad? How so... What gives?

Pagan jim
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RE: Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March
cartman00000001 9th Feb
@Loverock Davidson- For a person who dislikes tablets and dislike Apple in general I sure see your name in the comments a lot. Nothing better to do?
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RE: Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March
Loverock Davidson- 9th Feb
@cartman00000001
Not sure what your getting at with this comment.
  • Flagged
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Oh dear
ScorpioBlue 9th Feb
Not sure what your getting at with this comment.

Sounds like you forgot your safety helmet again.
  • Flagged
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RE: Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March
jmwells21 9th Feb
I give it a week, tops, before an Apple staffer "loses" one at a bar...
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I just wish these guys/gals would use my local pub!
James Quinn 9th Feb
@jmwells21 .. How cool would that be!?!

Pagan jim
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RE: Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March
notrozer 9th Feb
mADE MY PURCHASE of a Samsung galaxy tab 10.1, Love it coulnt care less about this realease, I can at least my my Southpark episodes using the buit in flash support on southparkstudios.com!
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RE: Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March
YaBaby 9th Feb
@notrozer

Oh snap, bring on the old "It supports Flash" argument! Of course since Adobe has come out and stated they are killing their own internal support for Flash on portable devices, you just moving the dust on dying technology.
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RE: Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March
piousmonk 9th Feb
@YaBaby

LOL - Didn't you know? The Internet is useless without Flash. In all seriousness, I will miss the deep, dramatic God-like voice of Android commercials stating "and it has Flash!" as if Flash was the secret to life, the cure for cancer, AIDs and world hunger all rolled into one.
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RE: Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March
HackerJ 9th Feb
Woo-hoo! More reassuringly expensive fruity-themed tablets! So cool, can't wait to go out and NOT buy one. Hopefully the price will be higher this time, to keep sucking the $$$ from the fanbois. And for gods sake don't add any features like USB mass storage device support, HDMI, or SD-Card slots - those kinds of things are for uncreative losers.
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No not just particularly friendly to Apple's mobility concept.
James Quinn 9th Feb
@HackerJ .. Which is a variation on Keep It Simple Stupid. No offense meant to you with the whole Stupid comment cause it is what it is and that is the saying and or theme behind Apple's mobility concept. You have evert right to disagree but I have to say given the iPads success I for one disagree.

Pagan jim
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RE: Apple set to announce iPad 3 in early March
draku.zeos 9th Feb
Yawn ...
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INteresting enough for you to take the time out of your busy
James Quinn 9th Feb
@draku.zeos ... day to add to the snarky:P

Pagan jim
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How to sell ads on ZDNet
Robert Hahn 9th Feb
Apple! Android! Windows 8!

Apple! Android! Windows 8!

Work everybody up into a lather. Rinse. Repeat.
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This is a ruse, and there wont be an iPad3 announcement in March...
adornoe@... 9th Feb
It's a deceptive tactic, something to steer people away from the "new" iProduct which Apple will be introducing in March.

So, it won't be an iPad3 being announced.

The march announcement will be about the long-awaited, much hyped, reinvention of the HDTV from Apple.

wink

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