Apple this week officially sent out invites for its March 7 iPad event, telling invitees that the company has “something you really have to see. And touch.”
This time next week, we’ll know exactly what that entails, but until then, the rumors keep coming. From suggested names and sizes to potential “one more thing” options, the blogosphere continued to be abuzz with reports of what the next-gen iPad might include. Let’s take a look at a few of those that made the rounds.
Though we’ve all been referring to the next iPad as the iPad 3, could Apple pull an iPhone 5/iPhone 4S and name it something else? According to Gizmodo, the new tablet might be known as the iPad HD. The blog pointed to part listings from Griffin and Belkin, and said the moniker “is a good match for the its new Retina-like display.”
But will we be paying more for an iPad HD? MacRumors on Monday reported that the next iPad could be $70 to $80 pricier than the iPad 2. The blog posted an image of a purported pricing sheet that made its way onto the popular Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo, which appeared to lay out a price comparison between the iPad 2 and iPad 3.
Apple is known for having a “one more thing” announcement at its press event. Could it be a new Apple TV? 9to5Mac reported that the March 7 event will include the release of an Apple TV that has thus far been referred to as J33 internally. The “J33” product supposedly sports a variation of Apple’s dual-core, ARM-based A5 processor that can stream 1080p video, according to the tech blog.
Digitimes, meanwhile, reported this week that protoypes of a new iPad with a 7.85-inch screen were delivered to Apple, though production on the smaller device is not expected until the third quarter.
Finally, we know that Apple will unveil its next iPad on March 7, but when will it hit stores? Apple product launches usually occur on Fridays, leading many to believe the iPad 3 will be available starting March 9. But a report from the Houston Chronicle says the launch might actually occur on March 16. It pointed to the launch of a new Houston-area Apple Store, the date for which was recently moved up from March 17 to March 16, according to theChronicle’s sources. The paper also noted that the iPad 2 launch happened nine days after the tablet’s announcement.
