Rumours about the next generation iPad are gathering steam once more. A new Digitimes report suggests that it could be available as early as March or April with production set to start in January and hitting production volumes in February. The timelines support those of earlier rumours.
Whereas OEMs are expected to manufacture up to 15 million iPad 2s in Q4 2011, production will drop to 4 to 5 million in Q1 2012 as they gear up for production of the new model. In preparation, suppliers have already begun to deliver the necessary components to the OEM contractors.
Production on the next-generation iPad could reach almost 10 million units in the first quarter of production.
The iPad 3 could sport a high-resolution Retina Display with a dual backlight system, making it slightly thicker than the iPad 2. But Apple may not be the first to market with such a display. Rumours have suggested that Samsung will unveil its own high-resolution display tablet at MWC in February.