As millions of consumers line up outside of Apple’s retail stores around the world this weekend to purchase the iPhone 4S, the rumor mill that feeds speculation over the company’s next big product release is already churning forward. Next up is the iPad 3, which is expected to be released early next year.
The next iteration of Apple’s hot-selling tablet is reportedly entering production, according to one analyst. Supply chain clues point to total of 600,000 iPad builds before the end of the year. Presumably, Apple will unveil the new device at some point in the first half of 2012. In the meantime, we can realistically expect endless speculation, leaked details and graphical mock-ups.
Rumors started swirling about the iPad 3 before the iPad 2 was even released. The device was initially expected to launch in 2011, but those rumors were laid to rest when analysts and sources from within Apple’s supply chain revised the launch to early 2012.
Even so, that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from chattering on about what may or may not be included in the third iteration of the iPad. The rumors with the most credibility include a better camera (like the one the iPhone just got), a faster processor and inclusion of the high resolution “retina display” that debuted in the iPhone 4. Other possibilities include changes to its design and an increase in RAM. It may also coincide with the release of another major upgrade to iOS.
We won’t know for sure until Apple publicly presents the device next year, and we can expect these predictions and expectations to change and be amended at an increasingly fervent pace as that day approaches.
Does the Apple Rumor Mill Help or Hurt?
As the recent launch of the iPhone 4S demonstrated, the rumor mill can sometimes be horribly wrong. Does it make a difference to Apple’s sales numbers? Apparently not a negative one. Much of the initial reaction to the iPhone 4S expressed disappoint, if not outright mockery. The standards were set so high by what everybody was predicting, that many onlookers were underwhelmed at first.
Despite this, the iPhone 4S shattered first-day sales records as Apple processed over 1 million pre-orders. Some of that may have had something to do with the outpouring of grief over the death of Steve Jobs. Either way, the iPhone 4S sold more units in its first day than any other Apple product in history. As long as the company’s products remain this sought after, we can expect the pre-launch rumors to keep on coming.
