Apple has reportedly scheduled an unannounced launch event on March 16th, an event that would theoretically be centered around the iPad 3 (or iPad HD) shipping in the U.S. Citing unnamed Apple Store sources, 9to5Mac reported that Apple Stores are already preparing for the event.
Tim Cook’s Calendar?
Apple is expected to announce the new iPad at a media event on Wednesday, March 7th (tomorrow). The Mac Observer will be on hand to provide live coverage for the event.
As with most of Apple’s product launches in the last several years, the purpose of the media event hasn’t been specified, but everyone and their brother knows that Apple will announce the new iPad at that time. March 16th is a Friday, and the timing would be consistent for Apple’s other iOS device launches, which often take place within two weeks after the device is first announced.
For instance, the iPhone 4S was announced on October 4th, 2011 and officially shipped on October 14th (pre-orders began going out on October 11th). iPad 2 was announced on March 2nd and officially shipped on March 11th.
So, a Friday that is nine days after the announcement is consistent with Apple’s track record, making March 16th a logical date.
Apple’s next iPad is expected to include a higher resolution (2048 x 1536) resolution Retina Display, the Apple A5X processor, and a new camera. Other rumors have claimed the device will feature 4G LTE wireless support, though we aren’t banking on them.