Apple iPad 3 to Ship in March/April: Analyst

Barclays Capital expects Apple Inc. to ship iPad 3 in March/April but other rumors suggest the next-generation of iPad is coming sometime in the next two months.

On the other hand, analyst Scott Sutherland of Wedbush Securities expects a potential iPad 3 to launch in fiscal second quarter. He expects Apple to address new competitively priced tablets from Amazon and others by discounting the iPad 2 along with the iPad 3 launch. In addition, Sutherland suggests Apple should introduce tablets with smaller screens to give consumers a broader choice of sizes and price points.

Meanwhile, analyst Ben Reitzes of Barclays Capital expects Apple to release two iPads during 2012. He predicts one iPad to come in March with better cameras, higher resolution display, the A5 processor and Siri, and another with a faster processor and 4G LTE later this year.

Reitzes' expectations is substantiated by a DigiTimes report that says Apple is anticipated to release two versions of the iPad 3 at the iWorld (formerly known as Macworld) trade show in San Francisco on Jan. 26.

The rumored iPads are being targeted for the mid-end and high-end markets. The speculated versions of iPad 3 will join the current version of iPad, demonstrating Apple's complete iPad series targeting the entry-level, mid-range and high-end market segments.

Other rumored reports suggest the tablet could be unveiled on Feb. 24, the birthday of Apple's co-founder Steve Jobs.