Suppliers Say iPad 3 Won’t Be Released in 2011
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DigiTimes reports that according to its sources, it is highly unlikely that Apple will release a new iPad 3 later this year.
Before the iPad 2 was released in March, rumors began to surface that the new iPad would be a transitional device with a newer and more powerful iPad 3 coming in the Fall of this year. According to DigiTimes’ sources, an iPad 3 will not hit the streets this year and that, “the iPad 3 rumor may just be wishful thinking and misreporting.”
Upstream component companies report that Apple has only recently begun showing them plans for the upcoming iPad 3 and based on where they are in the development cycle; releasing an iPad 3 this year would be nearly impossible to pull off.
According to DigiTimes, it sources say that “Apple recently released its latest tablet PC plan and is asking the panel makers to provide products that are capable to support higher image quality than the current iPad 2 and Apple may even choose AMOLED panel or panel that support Full HD standard to accomplish the plan. However, since the project is still at the initial planning stage, the actual products are unlikely to appear in 2011.”
Apple is rumored to be looking for full HD AMOLED Retina display for the new iPad 3. DigiTimes’ sources speculate that an AMOLED screen is unlikely as the current market leader in the production of the new screen is Apple tablet competitor Samsung. The South Korean company may not want to provide Apple the screens it needs at a price Apple is willing to pay. Samsung could decide to reserve its AMOLED display supply to its own tablet lineup.
While component suppliers said it is unlikely we’ll see a new iPad 3 this year, they did leave the door open for the possibility that Apple could release an “upgraded” iPad 2 later this year. The sources claim Apple may add different communication methods to the iPad 2. Two possibilities would be the addition of LTE for Verizon customers here in the US or the addition of Chinese specific network standards such as TD-SCDMA or TD-LTE.
