iPad 3 Production Underway for Early March Shipments?

Japanese blog Mac Otakara reports that Apple's manufacturing partners Foxconn and Pegatron have begun production on the next-generation iPad, with Foxconn once again bearing approximately 85% of the load. According to the report, the initial production batch is targeted for shipment in early March, in line with a number of rumors regarding the iPad 3 launch.

According to Chinese source, Foxconn Technology and Pegatron Technology started next generation of iPad assembly with Foxconn bearing 85% and Pegatron taking 15% of the production load like as iPhone 4S. Accelerated schedule is made possible by earlier Chinese New Year festival, 23rd-28th January.

This first lot production implements LCD's, which are produced by Sharp Electronics Corporation, and aims to be shipped at early March, source told.

The report reiterates several of the details found in iLounge's reports on the device, including descriptions of a form factor that looks approximately the same as the iPad 2 but which is slightly thicker. Mac Otakara notes that tight-fitting iPad 2 cases will apparently not fit the new model but that the Smart Cover will be compatible with the new model despite an adjustment in the location of the device's magnets.

dark gray smart cover
Mac Otakara has at times offered accurate information, but has had a few missteps including claims of a late 2011 launch for the iPad 3, new flash memory for MacBook Air solid state drive, and a SIM-less iPhone 4S.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro's alleged design via Front Page Tech Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive a New Perk

Thursday March 20, 2025 12:01 am PDT by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. The new perk is the ability to create invitations in the Apple Invites app for the iPhone, which launched in the App Store last month. In the Apple Invites app, iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations for any occasion, such as birthday parties, graduations, baby showers, and more. Anyone ...
iOS 18

Top 5 New Features Coming in iOS 18.4

Friday March 21, 2025 3:26 pm PDT by
We're not getting new Siri Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.4 as expected, but the upcoming update does have quite a few new additions that will be worth upgrading for. We've rounded up the five best features to look forward to, and if you're not running the beta, you can expect to get access to these in early April. Priority Notifications If you have an iPhone or iPad that supports...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock

iOS 19 Coming in June With These New Features

Thursday March 20, 2025 2:04 pm PDT by
While the first iOS 19 beta is still more than two months away, there are already plenty of rumors about the upcoming software update. Below, we recap the key iOS 19 rumors so far. visionOS-Like Design In January, the YouTube channel Front Page Tech revealed a redesigned Camera app that is allegedly planned for iOS 19. According to Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser, the Camera app...
Generic iOS 18

Apple Seeds iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 Release Candidate With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music and More

Monday March 24, 2025 10:07 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple released the fourth betas. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update. With iOS 18.4, Apple is adding the Priority Notifications...
airpods max 2024 colors

Don't Buy Into Apple's Hype About AirPods Max Gaining Lossless Audio

Monday March 24, 2025 4:24 pm PDT by
Apple today announced that AirPods Max with a USB-C port will be gaining support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio with a firmware update next month, alongside the release of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS 15.4. For context, audio files are typically compressed to keep file sizes smaller. There are lossy compression standards like MP3, and Apple's own Advanced Audio Codec...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Iridescent Search

Foldable iPhone Expected to Launch Next Year, Costing Around $2,000

Monday March 24, 2025 3:43 am PDT by
Apple will launch its long-rumored foldable iPhone next year with a ~$2,000 premium price tag attached, expects well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman. Gurman's comments on Apple's launch plans for its first foldable device appeared in the Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter. Earlier this month, the reporter said Apple's foldable iPhone could be arriving "as early as 2026,"...
iOS 19 Rounded UI Elements Light

iOS 19: What to Expect From Apple's Dramatic Design Overhaul?

Monday March 24, 2025 9:47 am PDT by
Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Apple is planning "one of the most dramatic software overhauls in the company's history" – an update that aims to bring iOS, iPadOS, and macOS into closer visual alignment. The redesign is said to be "loosely based" on visionOS, the software behind Apple's Vision Pro headset, and will reportedly update the look of icons, menus, apps, windows, and...

Top Rated Comments

Themaeds Avatar
172 months ago
"with Foxconn bearing 85%"

...and also 85 percent of the suicides :( Remember that while we all love our gadgets, there is a human cost in getting them to us.
Just of curiosity, does this ever deter you from buying one?
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
swarmster Avatar
172 months ago
"with Foxconn bearing 85%"

...and also 85 percent of the suicides :( Remember that while we all love our gadgets, there is a human cost in getting them to us.

Statistically speaking, wouldn't it be expected that 85% of a group of people bear 85% of suicides? The suicide rate at Foxconn is better than the rest of China.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
scott911 Avatar
172 months ago
Statistically speaking, wouldn't it be expected that 85% of a group of people bear 85% of suicides? The suicide rate at Foxconn is better than the rest of China.

exactly. I don't want to suggest anyone shouldn't be making conditions as good as possible for factory workers - but the simple truth is:

A Chinese citizen is MORE likely to commit suicide outside of foxconn than inside foxconn.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TWSS37 Avatar
172 months ago
I hope so. I've been holding off since the first iPad to get the third version.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gnasher729 Avatar
172 months ago
"with Foxconn bearing 85%"

...and also 85 percent of the suicides :( Remember that while we all love our gadgets, there is a human cost in getting them to us.
Every year, about 30,000 US citizens who don't own iPads or iPhones commit suicide. There is a human cost in not owning them.

(The US postal service has less than half the number of employees that Foxconn has. Being employed there apparently drives so many people crazy, that the term "going postal" is used today for someone who grabs a gun and starts shooting random people).

Just of curiosity, does this ever deter you from buying one?
Most people don't care, some know about statistics, and the others should think about how many suicides there would be if nobody bought anything made at Foxconn and 800,000 employees lost their jobs.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jdylan Avatar
172 months ago
Oh, really?

"with Foxconn bearing 85%"

...and also 85 percent of the suicides :( Remember that while we all love our gadgets, there is a human cost in getting them to us.
What does that even mean? 85% of the suicides? You sound like either a troll or a moron. The suicide rate for US college students is 4 times what it is at a Foxconn factory, and at Foxconn, it is much less than at comparable factories in China. What about for US soldiers? They commit suicide, so should we not deploy them anymore? What about car factories in Japan? Should we compare those rates also, and "think" about what we chose to buy/drive? People commit suicide, it doesn't matter if they are rich or poor, Chinese or America.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)