The mobile world might have its eyes on Barcelona and the Mobile World Congress, but news from Asia reports that Apple is about to take shipment of the iPad 3 from manufacturer Foxconn ahead of the reported US release in early March.
Apparently the shipments of the new tablet are now ready to depart from the Foxconn plant in China heading to the U.S, where the unveiling is scheduled for March 7.
The report comes from shipping documents that have leaked online, which say that the tablets are set to arrive on U.S shores no later than March 9, two days after the rumoured unveiling on March 7.
The document shows that the shipments will be divided between three major Airports in the US for a easier distribution into retail stores in time for the release.
It’s thought that the iPad 3 will go on sale one week after its official unveiling, but what we don’t know is whether it will be a worldwide release, or staggered gradually over the coming weeks and months.
Recent reports seem to suggest that the iPad 3 will boast a much-improved Retina Display, a faster A5 or A6 processor, as well as a 4G LTE radio and a camera with a larger sensor – perhaps even an 8-Megapixel part, just like Apple’s iPhone 4S. However, this new tech is likely to mean an increase in retail price with around $79 being added to the current $499 price tag for a iPad 2. Apple likes to keep the price for its products the same year on year even if the tech is much improved, which it does so by using its financial muscle to obtain parts before any other companies, in large quantities at lower prices.
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