As the iPad 2 continues to sell well, rumors abound over when Apple will finally launch the next version of the tablet, the iPad 3. Recently, Digitimes reported that Apple will likely release the iPad 3 in the first quarter of 2012, and the device would come with a host of improvements that, given Apple’s history, should go a long way in ensuring that the product stays atop the tablet space for the foreseeable future.
For its part, Apple hasn’t said when it will launch the iPad 3. In fact, the company hasn’t even said that it’s working on a follow-up model to the tablet. There is a possibility it might wait longer than many customers expect. But as we look ahead to 2012 and consider the many products that will be coming to store shelves, it quickly becomes clear that waiting to launch the iPad 3 next summer or towards the end of 2012 would be a huge mistake on Apple’s part. The smart move now is to launch the device in the first quarter, as Digitimes’ sources have said it would. Read on to find out why an iPad 3 would be far more successful if launched in the first quarter of 2012 than later on in the year.