Apple iPad 3 rumour round-up

It's nearly a year since Apple released the iPad 2, and so naturally, the web is buzzing more than ever with rumour and speculation about its successor, the iPad 3.

When will it arrive? What new features and improved tech will Apple be touting with its new tablet? How much will it cost? Will we be able to play fully 3D, high-definition games controlled by the latest in head-tracking and eye-movement control tech?

In many ways, Apple has created a rod for its own back, by allowing the spin-off Apple product rumour industry to flourish, by consistently refusing to comment on or demonstrate current product developments to the press or to the public.

As such, we thought it only fair and proper that you should be made aware of the more significant, the most believable and the most bizarre Apple iPad 3 rumours to date.

Read on, to finally decide if you still want to go ahead and buy that iPad 2 for Christmas after all...

1. iPad 3 release date: Early March?
The most up to date rumours on when we'll be seeing the iPad suggest it could be as soon as early March. AllThingsD, the Wall Street Journal's tech news site, wrote it had been told by its sources that an event was planned for the first week of March - sources who, on the whole, are usually correct.

And we wouldn't bet against it. Jobs unveiled the iPad 2 on March 2, 2011 and it was in stores in the US on March 11, soon followed by an international retail release in the UK (and 24 other countries) on March 25. Judging by Apple's previous release schedules (the iPad 1 was announced in April), we'd say there certainly isn't much longer to wait.

How much we want it - 10/10
Probability factor - 9/10

2. A slightly chunkier new iPad 3
What's this? Apple may well release an iPad 3 that is slightly thicker than its predecessor, according to the latest industry rumours, with iLounge.com stating:

"The third-generation iPad will become modestly thicker (0.7mm) in order to accommodate the twin light bar system needed for its higher-resolution display. It's currently on track for a March timeframe release, and according to our source could be publicly shown as early as January, depending on conditions."

And while they are at their Apple crystal ball gazing, iLounge's "most reliable source" also predicts that we should see a larger-screen iPhone 5 next summer that is 8mm longer than the current iPhone 4S and a new, slimmer MacBook Pro range very soon. To be honest, we don't really like to think that the iPad 3 will be thicker than the current model, but if it's to make space for a truly beautiful high def display, then we'll gracefully accept the compromise in form factor!

How much we want it - 5/10
Probability factor - 8/10

3. iPad 3 to get even-faster Apple A6 processor
The iPad 3 is likely to be even faster than the current iPad 2, featuring a new Apple A6 quad-core ARM-based processor. Cambridge-based ARM Partners is currently developing quad-core designs for most of its mobile partners. Should the iPad 3 get this significant power-boost and speed-improvement, then it will surely be a must-buy mobile computer for gamers and power users alike.

How much we want it - 10/10
Probability factor - 9/10

4. iPad 3 to get Thunderbolt port and SD card slot
The iPad 3's new features could include a Thunderbolt port and an SD card slot. The new Thunderbolt port is a great addition to the latest MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptop ranges, allowing users a super-speedy connection to accessories and external displays. It's particularly ideal for hooking up Apple's laptops to the HD display in your lounge, if you want to watch movies or video content stored on your computer on a bigger, better screen.

An SD slot would also be a boon for avid amateur snappers who want to quickly move photos from their DSLR camera to their iPad on the go, without having to use iTunes or mess around emailing photos to themselves.

However, Apple does currently offer an external Camera Connection Kit for the iPad (a two-part USB dongle and SD card reader) and the company has held out to date when it comes to adding additional peripheral ports on to the iPad, in order to maintain the clean-look of the original design.

How much we want it - 7/10
Probability factor - 2/10

5. iPad 3 to offer hands-free Kinect-style control
Over in the console gaming industry, motion-control is where it is at, with Microsoft Kinect, PlayStation Move and the forthcoming new Nintendo Wii U all pushing the boundaries of what is possible with this type of control tech. So might Apple follow suit with the iPad 3?

A newly published patent application from Apple suggests that the iPad 3 will make use of hands-free motion-sensing tech, allowing users to control games and apps with a range of hand-signals, instead of having to rely on touchscreen finger control all of the time. It's a nice idea, for sure, but current motion-control tech still tends to lack the precision so beloved by Apple's hardware designers. So, for now, we remain firmly on the fence on this one.

How much we want it - 6/10
Probability factor - 1/10

6. Apple to manufacture a carbon-fibre iPad 3
An almost-unbreakable kid-friendly iPad 3 would certainly be a big deal indeed, particularly for those parents (and teachers) that are still worried about their children and students clumsily smashing-up Apple's expensive tablet.

Apple recently hired carbon-fibre specialist Kevin Kenney, who previously developed the world's first all carbon-fibre bike while working at Kestrel Cycles. So it is not outside of the realm of speculation to expect Apple to introduce incredibly light carbon-fibre casing to its phones, laptops and tablet range soon. The over-riding decision-making factor will, of course, be cost.

How much we want it - 9/10
Probability factor - 3/10

7. iPad 3 to feature new Apple Retina Display
You know that beautiful Retina Display on your iPhone 4 or 4S, which you spend hours idly gazing at every single day? It's highly likely that Apple will introduce a similar high-def display on the iPad 3, manufacturing issues notwithstanding.

CNET reported recently that an iPad 3 Retina Display - which Apple defines as having "pixel density so high your eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels" - would require Apple's display manufacturers such as Samsung and LG Display to develop a 2048x1536 resolution display, featuring a PPI (pixels per inch) density of 264, twice that of the iPad 2.

How much we want it - 9/10
Probability factor - 8/10

8. iPad 3 to feature contactless payment tech
The forthcoming iPad 3 may well include a contactless-payment enabling chip, with Apple news site CultOfMac.com expecting to see this type of NFC (Near Field Communication) tech built into the forthcoming iPhone 5 in 2012.

NFC usage is popular in Japan and throughout south-east Asia and it is only a matter of time before western consumers in the US and across Europe get used to using the tech on a daily basis. However, we cannot really imagine replacing our Oyster cards with an iPad app just yet (imagine the fuss, coming out of the tube station!) so we don't hold out too much hope that this will be a feature on the iPad 3 next Easter.

However, the remote computing possibilities of the technology, whereby you would be able to sync their iPad with their Mac with ease are perhaps of more interest to most users.

How much we want it - 4/10
Probability factor - 2/10

9. iPad 3 3D?
3D is all the rage in the cinema and gaming industry right now, with Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3 and pretty much every TV manufacturer in the world heavily-promoting the technology.

Apple has held out when it comes to developing computers or mobile devices with 3D-capable displays to date. But, with the increasing popularity of 3D gaming and photo or video applications, might all of this change with the new iPad 3? Doubtful.

How much we want it - 8/10
Probability factor - 2/10

10. iPad 3 to get a dedicated Apple stylus
One of the most beautifully simple aspects of the iPad's design - and a significant reason why it still has the edge over most of its Android-based competition - is the fact that the touchscreen control of games and apps on the device is so perfectly implemented.

Steve Jobs himself was quoted as saying of competing tablet computers that: "If you see a stylus, they blew it".
Still, that hasn't stopped Apple patenting new ideas for a dedicated iPad pen-like device recently, presumably for those digital artists and designers that require far more precision than is currently capable from finger control. Apple may well introduce a heated e-pen or a stylus that wirelessly communicates with the iPad 3 next Easter, purely to appease those professional users.

How much we want it - 8/10
Probability factor - 6/10