The Verge - iPad 3 rumor roundup: specs, launch date, and more

New iPad is Apple's first LTE product, coming to Verizon and AT&T

2012-03-07T18:36:13Z

The just-announced new iPad will be offered in an LTE version, marking the first time that Apple has offered a true 4G-enabled product. Of course, LTE support requires carrier partners with LTE networks, and both Verizon and AT&T are predictably on board — both with their own versions of the device (they've got different LTE networks that use different bands). In Canada, Rogers, Bell, and Telus will be offering it as well.

Of course, there'll be 3G fallback for when you need it; LTE is still in fairly limited deployment, so this'll be the primary mode for many users. On HSPA+, the new model supports both 21Mbps and 42Mbps dual-carrier modes — no slouch, needless to say.

New AppleCare+ plan to cover iPad 3 accidental damage?

2012-03-07T06:05:16Z

Apple introduced its $99 AppleCare+ protection plan back when the iPhone 4S launched last year, replacing the standard package. It still extends free repair service to two years from the purchase date, but also covers up to two replacements due to accidental damage — though you do have to shell out $49 a time. However, this plan is currently limited to the iPhone, with iPad owners' only option right now being the standard $79 AppleCare package that doesn't cover your butterfingered mishaps. That may be about to change with today's near-certain announcement of the iPad 3, if MacRumors is to be believed, as the site is reporting that the same plan will be introduced alongside Apple's latest tablet. The report has also been corroborated...

Sources: Apple TV update, iPad 3 for Verizon and AT&T LTE launching tomorrow, no quad-core SoC

2012-03-06T20:04:10Z

When Tim Cook takes the stage tomorrow in San Francisco, a new iPad apparently won't be the only product announced. As we reported last week, a new Apple TV model is expected to arrive alongside the higher-resolution iPad update. We're told that the forthcoming Apple TV (the product is said to likely carry the same name as its predecessor) will have 1080p capabilities, and will work in conjunction with the iPad and other Apple devices to deliver new video streaming / mirroring functionality (which will also fall inline with new Mountain Lion features).

According to sources familiar with the matter, Apple will update both the new Apple TV and the iPad 3 (or iPad HD, a name we first unearthed last year) not with the rumored, quad-core A6...

Our liveblog of Apple's iPad 3 event starts at 10AM PST, March 7th

2012-03-06T07:54:40Z

You're interested in the new iPad, right? Of course you are. Why else would you be reading this? Well guess what? The Verge is going to be covering the unveiling of the next version of Apple's hit slate Wednesday, March 7th, 2012, starting at 10:00AM PST. And you're invited.

We'll have up-to-the-minute news, photos, and more from the event in San Francisco, so you can feel like you're actually there even though you're not. Or are you? No, you're not.

All you have to do is tune your browsers into our liveblog (located right here), and let our auto-updating magic whisk you away to a fantastic world where your dreams become reality. Just check back into that link at the times listed below, and prepare to meet a new friend. In the...

Rumor: iPad 3 pricing to match current lineup

2012-03-03T07:08:02Z

With five days to go before Apple unveils its latest iPad, 9to5 Mac has apparently debunked a rumor that Cupertino's new tablet would come with a $70-80 price increase. The hearsay started when MacRumors reported on unconfirmed price comparisons of the iPad 2 and iPad 3 that showed up on a Chinese microblogging site. However, one of 9to5's sources tipped them off that the prices for the new iPad will remain consistent with first two versions, ranging from $499 for 16GB Wi-Fi to $829 for 64GB Wi-Fi + 3G. While this doesn't come as a huge surprise — Apple has set a precedent for iOS device pricing to stay consistent across upgrades — it is a relief to know there isn't going to be a premium for that 264ppi screen and whatever other...

Are Apple employees surfing the web on retina display iPads running iOS 6?

2012-03-02T19:42:51Z

We all know Apple's having a big event next week in which the company is expected to roll out the next-generation iPad, and all the signs point to the device having a 2048 x 1536 resolution. What we're not expecting to see is the next version of Apple's mobile operating system, but Ars Technica has uncovered some evidence that iOS 6 is at least in the testing phases on a next-generation iPad running at an increased resolution. While combing through its server logs, Ars found evidence of 346 visits to the site from a device running at the new iPad's rumored display resolution — and a number of those visits came from a device running iOS 6. It also saw evidence of devices running the long-awaited iOS 5.1 update and the current 5.0.1...

Apple TV stock shortages appear, sources say new model imminent

2012-03-02T15:30:57Z

It looks like there may be a little more fact behind some of the Apple TV fiction we've been hearing over the past few days. According to sources (as well as Apple Store stock counters), the current Apple TV is becoming increasingly sparse at stores around the country, with most locations reporting no availability at all right now. More tellingly, at all of the stores where the device is out of stock, availability is listed as starting on or after March 7th — the day of Apple's big iPad event — which seems to suggest that something new is indeed coming. The device can be ordered online, and there are a few locations which show the current model in-stock, but that seems to be the exception, not the rule.

This follows on the heels...

Retailers begin to cut iPad 2 pricing as Apple's March 7th event nears

2012-02-29T02:33:03Z

It's like clockwork, really. When an updated Apple product looms on the horizon, prices for last year's model begin to plummet. The iPad 3 hasn't even been made official yet, and retailers are already taking some proactive steps to clear out inventory of its predecessor. Case in point: RadioShack. An internal company document provided to Engadget reveals that starting today, all iPad 2 models are seeing discounts between $20 and $50. The retailer's website confirms that the 16GB Wi-Fi configuration has been reduced by $20, with all other models receiving a $50 cut. Best Buy has also joined in on the fun, shaving $50 off all iPad 2 hardware this week (including the aforementioned base SKU). While Best Buy's rates are only temporary, all...