iPad 3 possibly slated for 2012 release

With rumors heating up about the iPhone 5 and iPad 3, some speculation is starting to brew and point to a 2012 release for the anticipated iPad 3.

The Wall Street Journal, known for their usually spot-on speculations about Apple product releases and news, are saying that the highly anticipated iPad 3 could be coming out in 2012 instead of later this year. With a release date of 2012, Wall Street Journal claims that Apple will begin production of the iPad 3 in October. The news comes from sources saying that Apple has ordered components and contacted their assemblers in Asia and readying to prep a "trial production" for the latest tablet. WSJ reports that an Apple supplier said Apple already ordered parts for roughly 1.3 million iPad's, slated around the fourth quarter. Rumors speculate that the iPad 3 will have a higher resolution display at 2048 by 1536, currently the iPad 2 is at 1024 by 768. Also, TechRadar believes that if the iPad 3 is released in 2012, it will sport an A6 quad-core chip, Retina Display much like the iPhone 4, and a Thunderbolt port, among other rumored specs. Apple's iPad continues to dominate the tablet computer market, sixty-five percent of tablets purchased being iPad's as reported by CRN. Competitor Hewlett-Packard even discontinued all WebOS projects, including their TouchPad device just weeks after it was launched, as Forbes mentions. Other competitors, such as Dell and Samsung, have also seen poor numbers for their tablet devices. Currently, Samsung is in a heated patent lawsuit with Apple over infringement of the iPad and iPhone.