iPad 3 to be Dubbed the 'iPad HD'

By Vincent Funaro, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, March 06, 2012

The iPad 3 will reportedly be called the iPad HD by Apple when it is unveiled tomorrow, according to both CNET and VentureBeat.

"The HD suffix is a nod to the new iPad's biggest upgrade: the high definition display," wrote tech site 9to5Mac.

The earliest reports of this other name came last year when The Verge first reported that the third generation iPad would in fact be called the iPad HD.

"The Verge's report called for some new professional software for the iPad HD," continue 9to5Mac. "And also said the device would be marketed as a new high-end iPad, and the iPad 2 would continue to sell."

However, 9to5's sources have reported something different.

Apple will discontinue the iPad 2 once the iPad HD is released, according to what 9to5Mac found out from industry insiders.

The iPad HD will inherit the prices of the current iPad 2 and completely replace it in the market becoming the official flagship Apple tablet.

But various other media outlets have reported that the iPad 3 or HD will provide customers with a higher end model with similar features that will complement the iPad 2.

In response, the second-generation iPad's price will be dropped in order to have it compete with the lower-end of the tablet market that includes cheaper devices such as the Amazon Kindle Fire and the Barnes and Noble Nook that are priced at $199 and $249, respectively.

The iPad HD is set to include a brand new high definition retina display along with an A6 chip that features quad-core processing speeds.

Apple will debut the device at a media event tomorrow. The third generation iPad should officially launch sometime next week with pre-orders beginning over the upcoming weekend if Apple sticks to its usual business model of revealing and releasing closely together.