Apple Makes It Official: To Announce iPad 3 On March 7th
Posted by Michael Nace on Tuesday Feb 28, 2012 Under iPad 3
Today, the mainstream media is reporting on the announcement from Cupertino that there will be an event on March 7th for the iPad 3. Invitations to the media were released today with a typically cryptic, tantalizing tagline: “We have something you really have to see. And touch.”
Speculation has raged for months about what we can expect from the iPad 3. The prevailing belief is that it will feature a dramatically improved retina display, 4G LTE connectivity, and some kind of improvement in the processor. In recent weeks, there has been debate over whether the new chip will be the rumored quad-core A6, or the more recent rumor of a dual-cure “A5X,” which constitutes a refresh of the current A5.
Or, as rumors today suggest, Apple could be producing both, perhaps for use in a “mini iPad” to accompany the standard 9.7-inch version that is expected.
On the invitations to the press, the new photo of the iPad 3 appears to be missing a home button. Computerworld remarks, “If the background is a photograph of the iPad 3 and not digitally manipulated, it hints that the tablet will not sport a physical home button, as have earlier iPads.” This change in the iPad’s design would be a major overhaul in Apple’s mode of navigation for its mobile devices, and would confirm what many have speculated about for years — that Apple would eventually move to replace the physical home button with something new and next-generation. If the iPad 3 is losing the home button, it would not be hard to imagine that the new iPhone 5 will be home button-less as well.
Some are also suggesting that the disappearance of the home button on the iPad 3 could also suggest that Apple is looking to increase the screen size without increasing the dimensions of the tablet itself. Even CNBC‘s own highly-cited article suggests this: “It is expected that the new ipad will have a larger screen, a faster processor and a better camera, said Ashok Kumar, an analyst for Maxim Group.”
To be sure, all of these speculations will be confirmed on March 7th, along with the price of the new iPad 3, which some believe will see an increase from previous iPad models, thanks to the new hardware and design.
By Michael Nace
Michael Nace is the Publisher of the iPhone 5 News Blog and iPhone 6 News Blog. He has published articles about the iPhone since 2010.
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February 28th, 2012 at 2:12 pm
FINALLY!!!! YES YES ITS COMING! No home button could mean a bigger screen on a same size chassis!
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February 28th, 2012 at 2:32 pm
What if the photo of the iPad (2s/3) was takin in Landscape mode…then of course there would be no home button!!!!
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February 28th, 2012 at 3:04 pm
I set the bubble wallpaper on my iPad 2 and compared the look of the dock in portrait and landscape. When you put 5 apps in the dock (calendar second from the right) and hold it in portrait, it looks very similar to this picture based on the shadow line in the dock and the bubble locations on the wallpaper. Maybe I’m just over analyzing this, but I’m pretty sure this is portrait and if there was going to be a home button, it would be directly under the maps app in the picture.
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February 28th, 2012 at 4:36 pm
Great work by you, Thomas! That’s awesome! Yes, I’m sure Apple knew exactly what they were doing in releasing that particular photo.
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February 28th, 2012 at 7:45 pm
Okay, after a few measurements, I conclude the screen is the same size. The apps are proportional to amount of free area. And one of two things could be happening with the home button. One, if you look at the surrounding metal bezel, it’s no longer silver! Either that means that the iPad is going to have colored back instead of the metal silver, or they enhanced the blacks, causing the home button to look gone and like its gone, when really its just glared out due to the angle. Or just to mess with us, they took the picture upside down and were looking at the top and the canera glassed glared and they blackes it out. Take your pick, still, the colored back metal would be nice. What do you think michael?
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February 28th, 2012 at 9:28 pm
I think that the iPad 3 will disappoint those of you who have a big wish list. They will introduce a few new items, not an entirely new product…
This is how Apple has always done it (imo)
..just my two cents
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February 28th, 2012 at 9:50 pm
If Apple decides to do away with the home button with the iPad3, then for sure they will do away with it on the iPhone 5 don’t you think? I think it is a great possibility. So this questions whether Apple will make an even bigger screen than the rumored 4 inch screen. What do you guys think? I just hope they don’t go crazy with some 4.5inch screen, way too big.
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February 28th, 2012 at 10:40 pm
Is it me or does that pic not look like something apple would do? I don’t know why maybe the font? But I think the no home button showing wasn’t on purpose. But I do think the maps has something maybe a new maps app? And the keynote well maybe an update or just that they’ll be giving a keynote.
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February 28th, 2012 at 11:37 pm
@recyclops you dO know this WAS officially sent by Apple. That’s just the front side of the postcard. The maps app shows the location of the meeting, the calendar tells the date, and the keynote says there a keynote on a product taking place. And it’s on a iPad, so yeah.
@dan it’s design may stay, but like the 4s, the internals will be completely different. I’m buying one for the new display!
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February 29th, 2012 at 6:18 am
Roll on next wednesday, can’t wait for the hints at what may be in the iPhone 5
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February 29th, 2012 at 6:37 am
Do you think there will be a webcast of this event?
I must say that I am tempted to buy an iPad, having never had one previously.
Distributors are lowering their prices on the iPad2 today.
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February 29th, 2012 at 7:16 am
@vernicularis by webcast do you mean live? No. If you mean recording, apple puts it on their site a few hours later for everyone to watch.
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February 29th, 2012 at 7:37 am
@Undfeatable
Well sort of live, I remember looking at a real time blog when the IP4s was released from a journalist who was attending that event. Can’t for the life of me remember where it was now and wondered if anyone had any good tips for links to similar ‘live’ reports?
I had a bottle of bubbly ready to open for the IP5 release which quickly went back in the cooler once I found out it was just an IP4 refresh as I was so deflated. Maybe if Apple put something wonderful out with the new iPad I’ll open it!
There is also the possibility that I won’t need a new iPhone if the iPad gives me all the functionality of the phone. I wondered if they might include the phone into the iPad so you could use it with a bluetooth headset? I know that would have issues for some people with portability and would most likely affect sales of the phone but still it’s an idea.
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February 29th, 2012 at 8:19 am
Yeah, probably no phone…. Yeah no phone. I personally hate updating blogs like that. I seclude myself from the Internet for the entire day UNTIL, the video is posted on apples website. Id rather here everyone speak and look up to somethIng that we have been looking forward to for almost a year.
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February 29th, 2012 at 8:40 am
8″ 299$ tablet for schools
iPad 2 price drop to 399$
iPad HD 499$
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February 29th, 2012 at 9:07 am
@core2 Im getting a iPad HD for school
. No need for a small 8″.
Michael, can you add a reply button to peoples comments so I don’t have to type their name?
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February 29th, 2012 at 12:55 pm
@undfeatable oh yeah I know but my point was that it didnt look ‘apple like’.
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February 29th, 2012 at 10:13 pm
I have been waiting for this day since about september-october! I got an iPad 2 for Christmas as a gift from my parents ( even though I clearly stated I didn’t want one since the new one was right around the corner, don’t get me wrong I didn’t really mind either) so I’ve been saving up some money for the next one. Even though the iPad 2 screen is HD it seems kimd crappy compared to my iPhone so I’m really looking forward to that retina display. I also would love better cameras (I actually use my iPad’s camera a lot) since the ones the iPad 2 has are HORRIBLE!
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March 1st, 2012 at 3:50 am
I have never understood this fixation on the possibility that apple might come up with a smaller version of the iPad. Apple don’t give you the impression that they are interested in chasing scraps. In 2010 Apple took its competitors off guard by a simple innovation. They made a bigger version of the iPhone. Will everybody be surprised if they do exactly the same thing to the ipad?
For my money this photo is of a iPad/iMac crossover device. It will run ios and have a touch screen but that sceen will be 21″ and you will be able to use it as a desk top computer. You will lay it down on a table or on your lap and use use it like an iPad or you will seat it vertically on a magical apple mount and use it with a wireless keyboard, mouse and trackpad… just like an iMac. This device will be about never having to own another pc. It will have a different focus to the other iOS devices. It will let you work productively. It will firmly insert the post into post pc. And it’s something we will feel compelled to see and touch, just like they say. That’s my guess anyway.
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March 1st, 2012 at 7:25 am
Interesting, I’m not sure if I want the iPad 3 but waiting for next Wednesday.
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