By Melanie Jones: Subscribe to Melanie's RSS feed
December 30, 2011 1:54 PM EST
This year has already been dubbed "The Year of Steve Jobs" by The Independent, but Apple fans anticipating the iPad 3 are far more interested in the rumored release date (and specs) of the tablet computer set to launch in 2012.
If you're one of the people lending credence to the rumors that Apple will release the iPad 3 early, launching two versions of the tablet computer in January to take on the Kindle Fire, I have bad news: it's not gonna happen.
Sources within Apple, the company's numbers and plain common sense all contradict the newest report, which came from dodgy source DigiTimes earlier in the week.
If you're wondering when the release date for Apple's newest iPad is likely to be, however, or want to know more about its rumored specs, you're in luck: here's a rundown of everything we know about the iPad 3 so far.
Release Date: Not Happening in January
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Earlier in the week, Apple rumor-mongers went crazy when tech source DigiTimes leaked the news that two versions of the iPad 3 would be launched at the Consumer Electronics Show and MacWorld/iWorld, set for Jan. 10-13 and Jan. 26-28, 2012.
It was January 2010 when Apple first unveiled the iPad at MacWorld, once billed as "the world's ultimate fan event" for Apple lovers. But news of an early launch, already considered "a little suspect," have been dismissed by both Apple insiders and tech analysts.
"These rumors are completely false," The Loop's Jim Dalrymple said. "I checked with a number of my sources [at Apple] today and an iPad 3 is not planned for release at Macworld ... or CES." He points out that Apple withdrew from the MacWorld Expo back in 2009, and has almost never done trade-show unveilings since.
Rumors that the January release date would mean two separate models, meanwhile, have been rejected by Apple insiders as well.
But if the iPad 3 won't be released in January, then when is it likely to come out? Apple rumors put the release date either in mid-March, the expected launch date, or at an early release date, on Feb. 24, in honor of the late Steve Jobs' birthday.
Although Focus Taiwan, DigiTimes and others have reported the Feb. 24 release date, a recent explosion at an Apple factory makes the March launch more likely. On Dec. 19, Reuters reported a massive explosion at Apple supplier Pegatron, which was producing iPad 3 casings. 61 workers were injured, and Chief Financial Officer Charles Lin reported that the factory wasn't likely to be up and running for a product refresh for three to four months.
Apple Rumors: Going into 2012
But what about the other rumors surrounding the iPad 3, especially its specs? Features like a much-improved camera and perks like a much-slashed price tag have been rampant since the start of 2011.
In anticipation of Apple's 2012 release of the iPad 3, here's what we know (and what we guess) about the tablet computer so far:
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