Apple is reportedly planning to launch a next-generation iPad, called an iPad 3, as early as February 2012.
Apple is reportedly planning to launch a next-generation iPad, called an iPad 3, as early as February 2012.
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According to report by Business Insider and PCMag, Citi analyst Richard Gardner revealed that the device would be similar to the iPad 2, but includes Apple''s high-resolution retina display technology found on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S by doubling the iPad 3''s screen resolution.
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Gardner reportedly said that "several sources" told him that Apple could launch the iPad 3 in February, which would put its debut ahead of the first two generations of Apple''s tablet.
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The first iPad hit stores in April 2010 after being unveiled the month before, and the iPad 2 was unveiled and released in March 2011, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
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The analyst also said that "there do not appear to be any significant technical hurdles remaining" to prevent the launch of a high-resolution iPad, which contradicts previous reports that fitting such a dense screen into an Apple tablet was one of the reasons Apple iPad 2 maintained the 1024 x 768 resolution of the first iPad.
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According to the report, Gardner also estimated that Apple would sell about 12 million to 13 million iPads in the final three months of this year.
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The major sales competitor to Apple''s iPad is widely considered the Amazon Kindle Fire in the US, which boasts much lower specs than iPads and Eee Pads.u00a0