Apple has confirmed the iPad 3 will be unveiled on March 7 after official invitations were sent out for the media event to be held in San Francisco.
The invitation shows a high-resolution display with a finger hovering over the calendar icon display with the words: “We have something you really have to see. And touch.”
Going by the sharpness of the screen’s resolution of the invite it appears the rumours that the iPad 3 will include a Retina Display as seen on the iPhone 4S and iPod Touch.
The event will be held at the Yerba Buena Centre for the Arts in downtown San Francisco – the same venue where the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the original iPad and the iPad 2.
According to the many rumours circulating ahead of next week’s official launch, the iPad 3 – if it is even called the iPad 3, will have a higher resolution display and possibly include Siri – the voice-controlled digital assistant introduced with the iPhone 4S.
The other big question is whether the iPad 3 will be 4G compatible for faster performance on the go on the mobile network.
Just yesterday Samsung announced the Galaxy Tab 8.7 – Australia’s first 4G tablet.
Another question being asked is – what will happen to the iPad 2. Will it be phased out like the original iPad and be reduced ahead of the expected release of the iPad 3 at the end of March.
Or will the iPad 2 remain and be offered as the entry level device with the new iPad 3, iPad HD – or whatever name Apple give to the new device – being positioned as the hero product.
Apple has done this with its range of iPhones with the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 still available along with the latest iPhone 4S.
According to Engadget, Best Buy in the US has reduced its entire line of iPad 2s by $US50 which appears to be a move to clear out stock ahead of the new product.
The iPad 3 is likely to go on sale on the Friday of the month – a week after the US going by the release schedule of the iPad 2 last year.
So going by that prediction the iPad 3 is likely to be available on Friday March 23 in the US and on Friday March 30 in Australia.
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