Apple to release iPad 3 in early 2012 with Retina display, reports WSJ

By Andrew Couts August 19, 2011

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Just when you thought they had gone away, the iPad 3 rumors are back, and they’re better than ever. According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple is well on its way with the next iPad, and plans to launch the third-generation tablet in early 2012.

On top of that news, WSJ‘s Lorraine Luk, reporting from Taipei, Taiwan, says that Apple is working to pack an ultra-high resolution “Retina” display into the device.

“The next generation iPad is expected to feature a high resolution display – 2048 by 1536 compared with 1024 by 768 in the iPad 2 – and Apple’s suppliers have already shipped small quantities of components for the sampling of the iPad 3,” writes Luk. “Suppliers said Apple has placed orders for a 9.7-inch screen device.”

This report corroborates Monday’s news from Taiwan-based DigiTimes that Apple was forced to shelve its plans to release the next iPad this fall due to technological problems with the larger Retina display. DigiTimes also reported that the iPad 3 would have a resolution of 2048 by 1536, and measure 9.7 inches, which is the same as both the original iPad and iPad 2.

None of this should come as particularly surprising news to Apple watchers. The only device that currently sports the spectacular Retina display is, of course, the iPhone 4. It only makes sense that Apple would improve its already-popular tablet by giving it a far better-looking screen. And it’s certainly no shocker that the next iPad will come out in early 2012 — the iPad 2 came out in early 2011, and Apple often sticks to its own annual schedule.

That said, Apple most certainly did not stick to its release schedule for this year’s iPhone, official news about which we are all still anxiously waiting.

[via Macrumors]

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