Apple iPad 3: Production Started

The company seems unlikely to lose its tablet industry lead. Over 40 percent of smartphones owners who use RIM, Windows or Android phones prefer Apple's iPad to tablets from their current smartphone operating system makers, a survey claims (as reported by Forbes).

With iPad 3 & its high resolution display, faster processor and potential inclusion of a new Thunderbolt port heading to the shelves, Apple's season of goodwill seems set to continue. The Trefis team writes: "We believe the iPad 3 will be a high performance iPad with some attractive features such as voice recognition service Siri, presently an important feature of iPhone 4S. The new iPad might also have high resolution screen as suggested by a few reports."

Apple supplier Pegatron suffered an explosion this weekend, in which 61 workers got hurt. The facility is understood to be being re-tooled for a new product refresh in 3-4 months, approximate to the anticipated schedule for release of the iPad 3. Pegatron Chief Financial Officer Charles Lin told Reuters: "The factory has not started operations yet. Part of the facility is still under pre-operation inspection and part is running trial production." This hints at a new production line scheduled to become operational just in time for the speculated upon March iPad refresh. Potentially.

Production of Apple's new tablets has been pushed forward in factories owned by Apple suppliers, ahead of Chinese New Year on January 22-28. Initial production is thought to be in the region of 1-1.5 million, according to various reports. Despite published statements to the contrary, it remains to be seen if the explosion at a plant thought to be producing iPad 3 casings will affect Apple's intended introduction schedule, or if it will delay launch of the device. (computerworld.com)