Everything We Know About the iPad 3 (So Far)

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The most highly antcipated gadget of 2012 is, without a doubt, the iPad 3. With Apple completely dominating the tablet "market", all eyes are on the Cupertino, Calif.-based company to see how it plans to keep the momentum going. No one knows for sure what the next tablet will bring. However, thanks to reports from various sources like Bloomberg, theWall Street Journal, and others, we can deduce that a few things will go down when Tim Cook takes the stage later this week to announce Apple's new tablet. Here's everything we believe we know about the iPad 3.

It will have a Retina Display

When Apple upgraded the screen on its iPhone, everyone anticipated the iPad also receiving high-resolution display. No dice. However, rumors have sprouted of Apple testing out different supplies, looking to find a company that could best deliver a next-gen display for its new tablet. Recent reports have Sharp as the company that will be manufacturing the 2048x1536 display. Apple was reportedly interested in Sharp's dual-LED lightbar technology that will be able to better the brightness of the high-resolution display.

It will use a new Apple processor (A6)

If anything can be gleaned from the tablet announcements earlier this year, it's this: 2012 will be the year of the quad-core processor. The Korea Times in November reported that Apple was indeed moving ahead with a quad-core processor, and that it was being built, ironically, by Samsung. Bloomberg spoke with a source close to the manufacturing of the tablet and confirmed that the iPad will sport a quad-core processor.

It will be compatible with LTE Networks

We know what you're thinking: How's the iPad going to get 4G before the iPhone? Because the iPhone's battery can't support the juice needed to power the high-speed connection. At least that's what a source told Bloomberg. The iPad 3 is said to sport a larger high-capacity battery that will allow it to rock on for hours even with the 4G LTE antenna. Expect there to be a version for both the Verizon and AT&T  networks.

Both cameras will recieve an upgrade 

Neither of the iPad's cameras are as good as the iPhone's. Even though both gadgets have front-facing cameras that shoot VGA video, footage captured by the iPad looks demonstrably worse than comparable iPhone footage. Apple is said to be working on a fix for that with the iPad 3. One of the major upgrades will be a HD front-facing camera for people to use for FaceTime conversations. The other, hopefullly, will be the rear camera shooting full 1080p video.

It will look like the iPad 2

Samsung has been poking fun at Apple in recent ads over the company's decision to release new models that look like models past. We're not mad. The iPad 2 is one of the best looking products on store shelves, we don't think it's in need of a refresh for refresh's sake. There's a chance the iPad 3 may be thicker than the iPad 2 in order to accommodate the bigger battery and 4G antenna That said, reports have Apple planning to let the current iPad's design cook.

It will coincide with iOS 5.1 Release

Apple seeded the iOS 5.1 Beta 3 to developers back in January, meaning it's on track for a spring release. This is good news for all iOS users as it will bring a host of welcome features like the ability to turn of 3G to conserve battery and data usage.

There's a good chance it will come with Siri

The big question regarding all future Apple releases seems to be: Will it have Siri? Apple shut the door on the possibility of the voice-activated personal assistant ever running on anything other than the iPhone 4S when it was revealed the A4 processor in the iPhone 4 did not have the noise-reduction technology needed for Siri to work. However, we can't see Apple not equipping the the quad-core A6 with the tools needed to handle Siri. Also, having Siri on the iPad will allow Apple to get a gauge for how the service works on something bigger than a pocket-sized handset. (Hint, hint AppleTV)

It will not have a 3D display

For some reason, there were rumors floating around about the iPad 3 possibly having a 3D screen that would allow users to interact with the table in completely new way. Right. Sorry to break it to you, but that ain't happening. Incorporating a 3D display will only take away from the iPad experience and drastically alter the user experience Apple's worked so hard to instill into it's customer base.

It will not kill off the iPad 2

Truth be told, the iPad 2 is more than powerful enough for anyone looking to buy a tablet. Apple knows this. That's why it will keep the iPad 2 around at a cheaper price. For those who need the greatest and latest, the iPad 3 will please all their needs. But for those who just want a tablet and don't need a super high-res display, 4G, or quad-core processor, there will be the still great iPad 2.

There's a great chance it's launching in March

In January, a source close to Apple's production pipeline told Bloomberg that Foxconn, the company's manufacturing partner, had begun to build the next-gen tablet at its Chinese factories. The plan, according to the source, was to get the production volume in a suitable place by February. This lead to people to believe Apple was going to launch the iPad 3 in late February as a dedication Apple's founder and former CEO, Steve Jobs, whose birthday is on the 24th of that month. As other analysts have suggested a spring  release date, we think the iPad could be announced in February and hit stores in March.

It may come with a very powerful battery

Last month, a series of images leaked that allegedly showed the casing of the iPad 3. Analysts were able to deduce from the images that the logic board would be in the a different place allowing more room for a larger battery. Seeing as how the iPad is rumored to have a much more powerful processor and display, the addition of a larger capacity battery makes sense.

It may be called the iPad HD

According to Gizmodo, the next iPad won't be called the iPad 3, it will be called the iPad HD. The site cites listings from accessory makers Griffin and Belkin, both of which are creating products for an upcoming iPad HD. We wouldn't be surprised if Apple decided to go this route as the form-factor is likely to remain the same and the Retina Display will undoubtedly be a major selling point for the new tablet. Think of the iPhone 4S. Same form-factor, but the major selling points were a faster processor and Siri.

The new iPad will be priced the same as the iPad 2

One of the earliest rumors to break was the one that had Apple keeping the iPad 2 around at a lower price. This falls in line with Apple's approach. It's no surprise then that Apple would price the new iPad at the same price points as the iPad 2. Apple news site 9 to 5 Mac reported that not only will the prices be the same, but the configurations will be as well.