iPad 3 to Hit the Streets in February?
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According to Citi Investment Research analyst Richard Gardner, Apple’s iPad 3 could be coming a month earlier than expected, in February of 2012. Historically, the iPad has been released in March or April, but the iPad 2 did come a month early, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
The iPad 3 has been rumored to have a high-resolution screen, which has once again been confirmed by Gardner, who expects that the new feature will drive Apple shares up 27 percent to $500 within a year.
“Current iPad builds are up sequentially in 1CQ12 thanks to the February launch of a new iPad with double the screen resolution of the current model,” Gardner wrote in a statement to his clients. “Several sources have confirmed the timing of this launch and there do not appear to be any significant technical hurdles.” Currently, the iPad has a resolution of 132 PPI, and a new iPad with double the resolution (at 2048×1536) would put it well ahead of competing products.
According to other sources (Macotakara), that new display may cause the iPad 3 to be thicker than its predecessor, the iPad 2. Supposedly the new internal components required to power the Retina display will cause a slight increase in thickness, but at this point, there’s no confirmation. It would certainly be an unusual move if Apple were to go with a thicker iPad 3, since Apple products tend to slim down quite a bit between iterations.
If the iPad is indeed coming in February, it’s best to save up those Christmas pennies until after the new year. A Valentine’s Day release sounds like a great idea to me – I know what will be on my wish list.
[via Business Insider]
