iPad 3 to receive front-facing HD FaceTime camera?

Now that we have ushered in 2012, the hot topic for the next couple months will be rumored specs and release dates for Apple's iPad 3.

The latest rumor comes from editor in chief at iLounge, Jeremy Horwitz, who claims that the iPad 3 will get a high-definition, front-facing FaceTime camera.

Horwitz's rumored spec for the front-facing HD camera, relayed on his Twitter account, was actually just one of several assertions made by him. Also included was the fact that the iPad 3's rear-facing camera would be upgraded to either the same 8-megapixel camera that Apple uses in the iPhone 4S or, at the very least, the camera unit used in the iPhone 4.

Adding the HD FaceTime camera to the already rumored Retina Display should be enough to get any potential customer to take an extra hard look at the iPad when considering a tablet purchase.

Horwitz also floats a few more iPad 3 possibilities including a dual-mode Wi-Fi/3G model, expunging the, as Horwitz accurately surmises, "very non-Apple choices" of selling separate models.

As iOS-based devices continue to grow in popularity, I would expect FaceTime to continually (and most likely, quietly) continue to get better. Since its introduction alongside the iPhone 4, FaceTime has yet to make much of a splash, especially with third-party developers waiting to see the open-source code Apple has promised.

But, when that happens, expect FaceTime to make a big jump in the mobile space, especially within third-party apps and utilities for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Do you use FaceTime on a regular basis? Let me know your experience in the comments!