iPad 3 Rumors: A March Release? What Features to Really Expect

It is looking increasingly certain that the iPad 3 (if that is what it will be called) will be released soon, and sources have told The Wall Street Journal blog AllThingsD that Apple will debut the successor to the iPad 2 in the first week of March, during one of its special events in San Francisco.

There has been no official word on a specific date for the release of the iPad 3. However, should the device debut in the first week of March, in true Apple fashion, it would likely be available for purchase about a week later.

Release date rumors surrounding the launch and name of an Apple device are nothing new. Similarly, because Apple is known to significantly improve each of its devices or computers with every new iteration of an existing product, there are always guesses as to what new features and specs will be included. The iPad 3 (again, assuming that is what it will be called) is no exception. There have been several rumors regarding the features that will come with the new device.

And although Apple has always remained tight-lipped about its new products, here's what we can realistically expect in the successor product to the iPad 2.

1. Similar Form as the iPad 2: We expect the size of the tablet computer to stay the same, and any decrease in size to happen much later, in future iterations, if at all.

2. High-Definition Screen: Reports are that iPad users can expect a new screen with a 2048 x 1536 Retina Display or something close. The next generation of iPad is in need of a serious resolution upgrade, and Apple knows that, as the last two iPads carried 1024 x 768 resolutions.

3. Improved Battery Life: Apple always improves on the battery life of its devices whenever it puts out a new product. If there are more or bigger pixels in the screens of the next-generation iPad, then expect that more battery power will be needed. Rumors are that the battery will be bigger. Could this mean that the next-generation iPad will be thicker?

4. Faster Processor: It is unclear at this point whether Apple will be using an A6 computer chip, but as with all its devices, the iPhone maker will give users some improvement in this area.

5. Siri: Siri will be there for sure, Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research, told PC World.