Rumors regarding the possible release of a new model of the iPad 3 tablet are resurfaced following an article presented by the Asian publication DigiTimes. iPad 3 or iPad HD would be launched in the fall of this year, but now Apple is negotiating with Pegatron or Quanta Computer a possible contract for the production of the new model of the tablet. We are talking about an iPad model that will not replace the current iPad 2, but will be launched on the market separately and will complete the iPad line. The iPad HD would have a Retina Display screen and be a product dedicated to professionals who will have iOS versions of Final Cut Pro X and other Mac OS X business applications at their disposal.
Apple reportedly plans to add a second manufacturer for iPad 3 tablet PCs in addition to Foxconn Electronics with Taiwan-based Quanta Computer and Petagron Technology being indicated as the potential contenders for the possible orders, according to industry sources in Taiwan. Petagron, which reportedly has landed iPhone 5 orders from Apple, stands a better chance of winning the iPad 3 orders, the sources noted. Apple previously outsourced the production of iPad-series tablets to only Foxconn, which assembles the tablets mostly at its production base in Chengdu, western China. However, an explosion occurred at a Chengdu factory building on May 20 leaving three dead and 15 injured on May 20. The accident has forced Apple to seek a second contractor in order to minimize production risk.
I don't know how the people from DigiTimes come into possession of such information, but somewhere someone changes the data of the problem a little. The iPad 2 is selling well, the iPhone 5 is to be released in the fall, so I don't see why Apple would complicate itself by launching a new iPad model. Considering that a new model of the iPad should be launched in the spring of 2012, it would make absolutely no sense to launch it in the fall of this year when Apple could wait a few months and introduce a completely new product. On the tablet market, the iPad 2 has absolutely no competition at the moment, so there is no solid reason why Apple would have to rush the launch of a new iPad model. My opinion is that the iPad HD will be "kept" for 2012.
