iPad 3 coming in March as Apple addresses working conditions
Reports suggest the iPad 3 is already flying off production lines ready to launch a year after the iPad 2.
iPad 3 rumours are gathering pace, with more reports pointing to a March release. Bloomberg reports that the iPad 3 is already flying off production lines, ready to launch a year after the iPad 2.
Bloomberg quotes sources who reckon the third iPad will pack a high-definition screen, quad-core processor and LTE, or 4G, connection to the web while on the go -- not that that's any use to us just yet.
The only quad-core tablet so far is the Asus Transformer Prime, powered by the new Tegra 3 chip. With that much grunt on board a tablet will tear through video, games and multi-tasking, but the battery will have to work hard to fuel it.
It's also likely to incorporate Siri, the voice-controlled feature found in the iPhone 4S. Other rumours include a sugestion that there will be two new tablets, not one.
The March rumours chime with reports late last year that the new iPad would land in March or April, based on supplies beginning to be delivered to Apple's manufacturers.
The manufacturers that actually build our gadgets have been in the spotlight lately, with claims of poor working conditions leading to accidents and even suicides in Asian factories used by Apple, Microsoft and other tech giants. Workers at a factory run by controversial manufacturer Foxconn even went so far as to head to the roof of a factory and threaten mass suicide recently.
The mounting attention has driven Apple to publish its list of suppliers and review its relationship with those companies. It's also become the first technology company to sign up to the Fair Labor Association, an independent body that monitors labour practices, although critics say this is a token gesture.
Excited about the iPad 3? If you're in the market for a new Apple tablet, will you hold off for a March release or dive in for the current model? Tell us in the comments or on our Facebook page.