There have been rumors for the past few months that Apple might pull out a surprise this fall and release the third generation of its iPad tablet.
Taiwan-based companies included in the supply chain for iPhone 5 and iPad 3 have begun to prepare materials for the production of the two devices, which are likely to make their debuts in September and will be out in October.
As the iPad 3 begins going into production, news have emerged about the device specs and design. Some impressive components such as n A6 Quad core processor and enhanced retina display which boasts a 2048 x 1536 HD resolution is sure to boost performance.
Apple is designing an even thinner and lighter ipad with its panel resolution increasing to 250dpi
Other features that the iPad 3 may offer includes NFC technology, the speedy Thunderbolt I/O, and an 8 megapixel front and rear camera. The design element will most likely be slimmer and lighter weight than iPad & iPad2. The iPad 3 will either make use of materials such as carbon fiber plastics for the casing or go with an aluminum metal backing that will look consistent with the iPhone 5.
Apple plans to launch one model of the new iPhone, while iPad 3 has just recently been added to the production schedule with both set to be produced in small volumes in August and the volume will start picking up in September and October, iPhone 5’s supply volume is estimated to be around 6-7 million units in the third quarter and with the addition of iPhone 4 shipments, total iPhone shipments in the quarter will reach 24-25 million units with volumes to maintain at the same level in the fourth quarter. In 2011, Apple is forecasted to ship over 85 million iPhones.
The total iPad shipments for 2011, including both the iPad 2 and iPad 3, will reach 40 million units. Apple is expected to ship a total of 85 million iPhones worldwide in 2011.