Apple is apparently ramping up for an iPad 3 announcement event in the first week of March. News of the planned media event comes courtesy of unnamed sources who also say Apple will unveil the next generation multimedia tablet in San Francisco.

Anonymous sources told AllThingsD the new iPad will match the specifications that have already been rumored: a 2048 x 1536 Retina Display, better graphics and processor chips, and a form factor that’s very similar to the iPad 2.

The iPad 3 is expected to ship a week or so after the media event, which would put the official launch in mid-March.

The timing, assuming the anonymous reports are accurate, fits fairly well with Apple’s previous iPad launches. The iPhone 4S launch, however, shows that Apple doesn’t feel compelled to stick with its historic launch windows. In the case of the iPhone 4S, Apple passed up its annual release cycle and released the new version of its combo iPod and smartphone in the fall instead of the spring.

Apple hasn’t commented on the March medeia event report, so for now it should be treated as a rumor even though AllThingsD tends to have reliable sources.