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Apple is a forerunner in the technology industry when it comes of design and innovation. Hence, it's not surprising to see the excitement among iPad fans reach a fever pitch especially as the latest wave of rumors suggests that the next generation Apple tablet, dubbed iPad 3, will be unveiled in the first week of March, possibly on March 7.
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Here's a rundown of the latest rumors about iPad 3 release date, specs and price - and what we think about them.
Release Date: iMore has cited "sources who have been reliable in the past" as saying Apple has fixed March 7 as the iPad 3's debut date.
Earlier, AllThingsD reported that the next generation iPad will debut at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco in the first week of March and will hit the market 1-2 weeks after its unveiling event.
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However, The Verge believes that iPad 3 could debut on Feb. 29. "There are 29 days in February this year (it's a leap year), and the 29th falls on a Wednesday (the day on which Apple has announced every other iPad). The iPad 2 was announced on March 2nd, 2011, and made available the following Friday (March 11th). If Apple were planning on having these ready for the weekend of March 9th, it seems relatively possible that they could choose that date... perhaps with a catchy theme like "It's time to leap ahead," the site said.
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According to Game Zone, iPad 3 might launch on March 29. The site got the hint from Amazon's France's timeline. The online retail giant doesn't sell iPads, but it has added two iPad 3 books to its online catalog - iPad 3 pour les nuls (or iPad 3 for Dummies) and Auf die Schnelle iPad 3.
iPad 3 for Dummies will be published on March 29, 2012, according to Amazon France's listing. It suggests the new iPad may also be launched on the same date or around that time.
DigiTimes and Macotakara have put the release date of iPad 3 around March. Other Apple rumors claim the tech giant could unveil iPad 3 on Feb. 24, in honor of the late Steve Jobs' birthday.
What we think - A March launch looks imminent because Meijer, a Michigan-based supermarket chain has already slashed the price of the base iPad 2 model (16GB, Wifi only) by $70 to $429 to clear its shelves for the new tablet. Moreover, a March release would give Apple the time it needs to solve its trademark dispute with Proview over the name iPad.
Price: The price of the basic iPad 3 is expected to remain at $499 (16GB model) but don't be surprised to find Apple dropping the price of the base iPad 2 model by at least $100. The possibility of the price reduction isn't too far-fetched as Apple has dropped the price of the older iPhones for the past couple of years whenever the company released a newer version in the market.
The rumor that Apple will slash the price of iPad 2 is also gaining ground because Apple is facing severe heat from other tablet makers that are producing cheaper tablets.
"Apple will take the advantage of the iPad 3 launch to slash the price of its iPad 2 to US$399," DigiTimes said.
What we think - Apple is likely to cut the price of iPad 2 after the unveiling of iPad 3, provided the tech giant decides to continue selling iPad 2. If iPad 2 remains in production, expect Apple to sell the base model in the $299-$399 range, which would effectively take the wind out of the likes of Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet.
Display: The hype machine expects iPad 3 to boast of a higher resolution display, possibly Retina Display.
