Apple assemblers Foxconn and Pegatron will ship the first iPad 3 units to Apple in early March this year, according to a report.
Macotakara claims that assembly of the units has already begun and that a Chinese source says Foxconn is manufacturing 85 percent of the units, with Pegatron making the other 15 percent.
The report also speculates that the third-generation iPad could be known as the iPad 2S rather than the iPad 3 as there are few differences between the new model and the iPad, seemingly corroborating what iLounge’s editor Jeremy Horwitz said earlier this week.
Another aspect of the report that reflect’s Horwitz’s claims is that the new device is slightly thicker than its predecessor, but an interesting (if true) new detail in the Macotakara report is that the magnets for the Smart Cover will be placed in a different position – though quite what this means, we’re not sure.
The increased thickness could be a problem for accessory makers, though according to the report many of them now have detailed measurements for the new device.
Proposed reasons for the increased thickness focus on either a new, higher-capacity battery or a new LED light bar arrangement required to power a new, higher-resolution display.