Many industry pundits expect iPad 3 to launch next year, but it's possible that Apple's next tablet could hit the market even sooner than expected. DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim has indicated that the new iPad with a QXGA 2048-by-1536 Retina display is actually already in production right now.
Because the display is very difficult to produce in mass quantities, Apple is looking for help from Samsung, Sharp, and LG to produce them, in order to meet consumer demand. It's rumored that iPad 3 could be ready to ship as soon as January, with more significant volume becoming available within a couple months.
The iPad 2 has really been embraced by game makers, and the iPad 3 is likely to bring visuals much closer to what the consoles can produce. It'l be interesting to see what iOS developers do with the beefier tablet hardware.
Source: CNET
