Analyst: iPad 3 Ahead Of Schedule, Due For January 2012 Release

A new research note from Jefferies & Co. analyst Peter Misek suggests that the iPad 3 is ahead of schedule, reports Electronista, and will be released sooner than expected in January 2012.

Apple has planned their previous two iPad launches in early Spring, with the original iPad having launched on April 3, 2010 and the iPad 2 having launched on March 11, 2011.

Curiously, Misek also claims that the rumored “iPad 2 HD” (which no concrete evidence ever surfaced for) with a built-in Retina display has been cancelled, with one million produced units retooled to sell as the iPad 2.

Misek’s claim about the iPad 3 is still very uncertain, and even if it is based in truth, it might merely reflect when Apple begins production for the iPad 3, but doesn’t necessarily indicate a release date.

To this point, the iPad 3 is rumored to run on Apple’s next-gen A6 processor, feature a thinner & lighter battery, and may feature an updated Retina-level display with a resolution of 2048×1536, which would boost clarity of both images and text, and would enhance the overall experience of the iPad.

J. Glenn Künzler

Glenn is Managing Editor at MacTrast, and has been using a Mac since he bought his first MacBook Pro in 2006. He lives in a small town in Utah, enjoys bacon more than you can possibly imagine, and is severely addicted to pie.