If you were around in 2010, you probably watched, or at least read about, Steve Jobs launching the iPad.  And let’s face it, who didn’t?

Back then in 2010, however, during the introduction of the iPad, Steve Jobs said that 7-inch tablets were DOA and that the 9.7-inch iPad was the optimal size for a magical touch interface.

Even with word coming down from on high that Apple wasn’t about to release a smaller version of the iPad, rumors continued to persist since 2010 to today that deep in their super secret lab, Apple in fact had a 7-inch iPad prototype.  And now it looks like Apple is getting ready to release the tablet that Jobs said they would never do.  Back then.

So why the sudden change in heart from that early stance in 2010?

Rene Ritchie of iMore.com has an editorial up that I read last night and found myself agreeing with his position that the time is right for Apple to enter the 7-inch, low end tablet market.

“[E]ven considering the current iPad’s incredible market lead, some customers are still choosing between it and a smaller and/or less expensive tablet.”

And let’s face it, there are a number of cheap 7-inch crappy Android powered tablets floating around out there.  But there are a few 7-inch tablets that are starting to gain some traction in the marketplace, namely the Barnes & Noble Nook, the Amazon Kindle Fire, and most recently, the Google Nexus 7 that will go on sale in a few short weeks.

If there was ever a time for Apple to jump into lower cost 7-inch tablet market, it’s now.

Check out Mr. Ritchie’s full article on iMore.com.

[Via iMore.com…]

If all the rumors haven’t been enough for you, Apple is ready to publicly talk about the third generation iPad, presumably called iPad 3, this Wednesday.  The event will be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco and will get underway at 10am PDT/1pm EDT.

As of Monday, there is still some debate over the name of the new iPad, whether it will be called “iPad 3” or “iPad HD.”  There are also rumors circulating that there will be a new Apple designed case that falls somewhere between the original black iPad case and the new iPad 2 Smart Cover cases, that protects the entire iPad.  Perhaps the one rumor that I was glad to hear squashed was the one that suggested that each new iPad 3 model would be $79 more expensive to cover the costs of the new display.

Is this the new logic board for the iPad 3 that is expected to be unveiled in the coming weeks?  Many people believe that the next Apple CPU would be the “A6,” but that may not be true.

“[I]f this photo is to be believed, that assumption appears to have been incorrect, with Apple instead having branded the upgraded package with the A5X name. 

A date code of “1146” on the A5X indicates that it was manufactured in the 46th week of 2011, which would have corresponded to November 14-20. 

An “A5X” as a step-wise upgrade to the A5 corresponds with progression of processor part numbers as revealed by BGR in February. At the time the A4 was known to be the S5L8930X, the A5 as the S5L8940X and the new iPad processor as S5L8945X.”

Apple is widely expected to introduce the iPad 3 at a media event on March 7.

[Via MacRumors.com…]

There has been a lot of rumors lately about the next generation Apple iPad.

We assume that the next iPad will be called ‘iPad 3’, however, the name of the next iPad is still not confirmed.  Talking about the new iPad, AppleInsider.com wrote:

“Apple’s plans to release a third generation iPad within the next few weeks have been broadly anticipated, although the report, published by the New York Times, notes that its “unclear” if the next iPad will be named iPad 3.”

As with many things Apple around product launches, we won’t know everything until Apple CEO Tim Cook walks off stage.

Announcement

Apple has not yet announced the iPad 3 or talked about when it might unveil the new tablet.  But we know the iPad 3 is coming soon if past history is any indication.  In late January, we started to hear that Apple would hold an event in February to announce the iPad 3 with a March launch.  Last week, AllThingsD.com reported that they understand that Apple will be holding a media event to announce the iPad 3 in early March and the new iPad will begin shipping closely there after.

“Apple’s not holding an event in February[,] [b]ut it is holding one in March — to launch its next iPad.
Sources say the company has chosen the first week in March to debut the successor to the iPad 2, and will do so at one of its trademark special events. The event will be held in San Francisco, presumably at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Apple’s preferred location for big announcements like these.”

One tell tail since that a new Apple product is about to be released is when the current model starts to see constrained quantities.  The following appeared on 9To5Mac.com recently:

“Typically a solid indicator of an Apple product refresh is when the previous model of that particular product begins to see constraints and shortages. We saw this process prior to the launch of the iPad 2 in March of 2011, and we typically also see this process to prior to launches of Apple’s new Macs.
According to a source familiar with Apple’s product distribution channels, the iPad 2 WiFi + 3G is constrained. Supply shortages span beyond Apple’s own distribution channels, though, as major retailers are reporting “out of stock” status for the 3G iPad 2.”

Hardware

The latest rumors say that the iPad 3 will be of a similar size and form of the current iPad 2.  9To5Mac.com reports, “[t]he iPad 3 case was not noticeably thicker than the iPad 2, countering previous rumors that the new iPad would be thicker.”

The biggest feature that I’m looking forward to in the iPad 3 is the Retina Display-like display that is rumored to be supplied by Sharp.  Last Thursday, AppleInsider.com reported:

“The display has three flat cables that connect to the base of the LCD, which is said to sport a high-resolution 2,048-by-1,536-pixel display. That’s the same size that has been rumored for an Apple-branded Retina Display on the third-generation iPad. 

The resolution suggests that Apple’s so-called “iPad 3″ will not match the 326 pixel-per-inch density of the iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 and iPod touch. Rather, the rumored resolution would be a pixel density of around 260 pixels-per-inch, with quadruple the resolution found on the current iPad.”

Wireless Technology

Another interesting item that has come up this past Friday is that AT&T Wireless will begin supplying 4G LTE compatible micro-SIM cards.  In a BGR.com article posted on Friday, Dan Graziano notes that while the new Nokia Lumia 900 and the Pantech Burst will likely use the new 4G LTE cards, it is possible that these cards might be used in an iPad 3 before Nokia’s new smartphone.

iPad 3 Ready Applications

What’s an Apple keynote address without some flashy advertising and software to go with the hardware?  BGR’s Mr. Graziano, on Friday, posted another article suggesting that Apple was in “crunch mode” getting ready for their iPad 3 product demonstration.

“The Cupertino-based company is now looking for apps that will show off the stunning quality of the iPad 3′s high-resolution Retina Display.”

Having high quality applications to show off the new capabilities of their new hardware is a staple of Apple product announcements and there is no reason to doubt Apple won’t have select software developers on hand to help unveil the new iPad.

AppleInsider added:

“The iPad maker is also reportedly forwarding some apps to its advertising partner TWBA/Chiat/Day as the agency readies commercials for the third-generation tablet. Author Matthew Panzarino noted that the process is entering its “final phase” and is on a tight deadline for the presentation and subsequent television broadcast.”

[Via AppleInsider, BGR, AllThingsD…]