That initial report came from MIC Gadget who were apparently in possession of the front parts of the unannounced device, but now we have fresh details coming out of The Verge, who state that the next-gen iPad will feature 4G connectivity after all.

That’s not all either, as there appears to be some greater clarity surrounding the mystery of the processor that will be included in the device as well. It looks like we won’t be seeing a quad-core iPad 3, but instead a device which features a much faster version of the A5 processor that is currently equipped in the iPad 2.

This again relates to those iPad HD rumors from yesterday which suggests that the upgrade won’t be classed as ‘next gen’ by Apple, but rather a new device with revised features. Don’t let that deter you though as we’re also hearing that the RAM will be doubled for the next iPad 2, with a rumored 1GB of RAM at last.

Combine the new details on the A5′X’ processor, LTE connectivity and 1GB of RAM with a Retina Display and 8 megapixel camera, then actually – it doesn’t look like a bad upgrade at all. Current iPad 2 owners may disagree though as an upgrade may only be deemed worthy once Apple unleash their quad-core processor.

Are you planning to upgrade to the next iPad at the earliest opportunity, or do you need to see a quad-core processor and other features before deciding to part with your cash?

The Smart Cover that is currently available for the iPad 2 protects the display from the rigors of life, but there are now rumors of a new version coming that will also protect the rear of the device. Sources are claiming that the new cover will be similar to the Incase Magazine Jacket according to a report on AppleInsider.

Again the case will feature the same magnetized Smart Cover to protect the front of the iPad, but will also feature a rear shell that is manufactured from fiberglass. What isn’t clear at the moment is whether this supposed new case is only meant to be used on the iPad 3 or if it will be compatible with the current model.

The clever feature has a number of magnets built-in so it can easily attach to the iPad 2 thanks to the magnets built into the tablet PC. The device also automatically unlocks and locks the screen when the Smart Cover is removed and replaced, and the microfibers on the cover will also help keep the screen clean.

Meanwhile the same source that originally tipped that Apple would be holding its special event tomorrow, has told iMore the iPad 3 will feature 4G LTE connectivity. There have been rumors about such a feature for a while now, and it seems more likely to be accurate as we get closer to the unveiling of the iPad 3.

Do you have the Smart Cover for your iPad 2?

The iPad HD, we’ve heard that all before haven’t we? Those rumors started an eternity ago it seems, but just hours away from the unveiling of the third-generation iPad, here we suddenly are again with whispers emerging that Apple may have had a change of heart – or were they planning to name this device the iPad HD from the start?

The information has been sourced from CNET who are actually putting this down as a fact that the iPad 3 will be known as the iPad HD, not a rumor. There are also a few other clues to suggest that this could be happening, as apparent inventory listings by accessory makers Griffin have the device noted down as iPad HD and not iPad 3.

Does the numbering matter to you though? There could actually be significant reasoning behind the change as it may suggest that Apple does not believe that their upcoming device warrants the name iPad 3, which could be due to the fact that only a handful of hardware changes will be made compared to the iPad 2.

This also tells us that if the iPad HD is coming this week, then the iPad 3 after it will feature substantial changes and we may even see a design overhaul to match the sixth generation iPhone which has been rumored to be featuring a completely different design compared to the iPhone 4.

Does it bother you that we may not be seeing the iPad 3 this week, but rather the iPad HD? HD will obviously refer to that Retina Display that we’ll be seeing in much greater detail, but we hope that Apple are planning a lot more in the way of features if they want us to overlook other exciting products such as the rumored $199 Google Nexus Tablet.

There is no guarantee that this is the real thing here, but as we have seen from many other China leaks, it could well be the real deal. Presuming that the alleged iPad 3 parts and video uploaded by MIC Gadget are real, there is one important thing to get out of the way – the third generation iPad will have a home button after all.

You may have seen Apple’s supplied image along with their invitation which appeared to tease a new iPad without a home button, but MIC Gadget state otherwise and have even got the iPad 3 home button in their possession already, so they say.

Since they have the front screen of the iPad 3 as well as other parts, an initial comparison with the iPad 2 has been made, with the video suggesting that the iPad 3 will be thicker than the iPad 2 but will appear thinner due to tapered edges on the new device. There is also confirmation of a Retina Display, a larger camera sensor and expected and wait for it – no sign of an LTE radio, so we may not be getting a 4G iPad just yet folks.

Unfortunately, there’s no word on what processor will be used in the device, so that’s one aspect which we’re pleased see has been kept a secret before Apple’s reveal on March 7th. To be honest, we had a hard time trying to focus on if these are the real iPad 3 specs we’re seeing here, as the music used in the video by MIC Gadget was simply a bit too funky for us.

Take a look at it yourself and let us know your thoughts on it. The key points – Retina display, larger camera sensor, thicker design than iPad 2, home button in tact, possible quad-core chip but no LTE. Sound good to you or not?

One big change for current and future Apple devices – You can see a close up on the iPad 3 event invitation above and as you can see there is no home button, which would be a massive change for any new Apple device and the lack of this button could hint towards a change for iPhone 5 as well. We’d like to point out that the iPad could’ve been in landscape mode but there are theories that contradict this, although Apple love to send fans in all directions to throw rumors off any sent of reality, which could include the invitation spending time in Photoshop to alter how the final 3rd generation iPad would look.

If we imagine that Apple hasn’t altered the image in anyway to mislead us, then it could be seen that there really is no home button. We’d expect that the iPad in the invitation is really in portrait mode considering the landscape mode cuts off 6 drops in the background, and also app icons are too close to each other for landscape mode.

There has also been so much speculation over the icons in the image, which have been thoroughly detailed by this blog and what they see as the real reason for these icons in the iPad 3 event invitations. Have a read and let us know if you agree with them, or are they looking into this way too much and is it likely that the icons represent the keynote itself just as Apple normally do with past invites

The most popular iPad 3 rumors include Siri, 4G LTE, a faster processor, and retina display. The message in the image explains that we should be able to “see” and “touch” something, and this has led some people to believing there could be an Apple TV 3 at the event.

How would you feel if the iPhone 5 had no home button? If you’d like to share what other Easter eggs you believe are in the photo then please do so below, although we’d stand by the obvious that the iPad 3 will have no home button and would be the start of other devices, like the iPhone 5, having no home button as well. Remember that the lack of a home button also offers more space for a bigger display on a device of the same size.

Apple doesn’t have the backing of every news reporter and this cannot be more evident than seen in an article by the Guardian, which can be read here and focuses on Apple’s overwhelming dominance. Another article by Geek has looked at the different ways Apple could give fans “one more thing“, which includes no home button as we suggested but also 3D gestures, Aperture, Siri, iCloud gaming and more.

You can see an image below that Jeremy Schwartz created showing how the iPad 3 has to have no home button, or at least what Apple want us to believe thanks to the invitations, and would obviously become a standard for Apple devices if they start with the next iPad.

A few days ago we heard talk that the new iPad could see an increase in pricing of around $70 to $80, which was put down to the proposed Retina Display rumored to be coming with the new model. This was met with dismay from many of our readers that were unsure if they wanted to pay the extra. But now there may be some good news if a report on 9TO5 Mac is accurate.

It seems the iPad 3 will cost the same across the range compared with the current version, and falls in line with what Apple normally does as it very rarely pushes up prices. To further add to the good news if you live in a country that has seen its currency strengthen against the US dollar, you may even make a slight saving.

There are also claims that the storage options will be the same as well, which contradicts other reports this week that Apple were ditching the 64GB version. Meanwhile the team over at Ars Technica has spotted some evidence of Apple staff using the so called iPad 3 running iOS 6. It is thought Apple may be ready to release iOS 5.1 next week to coincide with the new version of the iPad, but it seems Apple is well underway with the development of iOS 6.

When the site was looking through their logs it was found that there were 365 visits from a device that had a display with the resolution of 2048 x 1536. This is what’s thought to be coming with the iPad 3 and its rumored Retina Display. Normally this wouldn’t be much to go on, but it was also noticed that it was done with iPads running iOS 6 along with iOS 5 and iOS 5.1.

It is not thought Apple will release the iOS 6 operating system anytime soon, but the company may treat us to a preview of it next week at the iPad 3 event. Who knows it may become available in the summer with an iPhone 5 release. Do you think we will see an iOS 6 preview next week?

There are rumors that the proposed Retina Displays and the complicated production of them, is being claimed by a report on DigiTimes will mean it will take over a month before production is at full speed. Sources rumored to be close to Apple’s supply chain say that it could mean there may not be sufficient supply’s of the new iPad at launch.

Last October there were similar claims about manufacturing issues with the proposed new display for the iPad 3, which are reportedly being supplied by Samsung, Sharp, and LG. It is also being claimed that the current model will have the higher amount of shipments during the first quarter, with the iPad 3 taking over in the second quarter.

As usual you have to take all these rumors with a pinch of salt as production issues were first reported back in October, so these latest reports could quite easily being just the same speculation. Also the talk of a smaller iPad model has been spoken about in the past.

Meanwhile the next model may not be called the iPad 3 after a report of accessories for the device found by Gizmodo, has some listings for some Griffin cases for what is described as an iPad HD. Manufacturers normally don’t find out about new products until the last minute so it could easily be second guessing by Griffin, but the HD moniker certainly falls in with the speculation regarding the display on the next iPad.

As usual we will have to wait until next week when Apple reveals the device officially to the world before we truly know their plans.

Before we have even had enough time to digest all of the exciting rumors regarding the next iPad, we have just fresh fresh claims surfacing from Taiwan that Apple may also be planning to release a smaller, 7.85 iPad towards the end of the year.

We have had numerous reports suggesting that the device will include the likes of a Retina Display, a faster processor and an 8 megapixel camera, but we haven’t had too many details regarding form factor. Consumers are expecting the device to look exactly like the iPad 2, so it’s interesting to hear that we may now be getting a second iPad in 2012 in much smaller form.

An article published this week by Digitimes claims that it is ‘likely’ that a 7.85-inch iPad will begin production during the third quarter of 2012 so it may become available for purchase during the holiday period this year. Apple will have obviously seen what Samsung are doing with the countless iterations of the Galaxy Tab, so perhaps they now feel that the time is right to offer their iPad in a variety of sizes. 10-inches may be deemed too big for some consumers, so having the option of an 8-inch model instead, with the same features as the upcoming iPad 3 is a good move in our opinion.

What are your thoughts on this? After all the talk on this 10-inch iPad 3 event next week, would you now save your money if an 8-inch iPad became available later as well?

Earlier today the company announced it will be holding a special media event next week to showcase what is believed to be the iPad 3. This news with the release of invitations to the event saw Apple’s stock hitting the $500 billion mark during afterhours trading according to a report on AppleInsider, and pass the $535 mark.

This compares to Exxon Mobile Corporation that has long been up with Apple with regards to market cap, who were worth $411 billion. Towards the beginning of this month Apple went past market capitalization of $456 billion, which was equal to the market cap of both Google and Microsoft combined.

Apple has continued to climb after it revealed its best ever quarter during the holiday season of 2011, which was based on record iPhone sales alongside large sales of Macs and iPads. Apple overtook Microsoft way back in May 2010 with both company’s having a market cap of about $222 billion. But it has taken under two years for the value of Apple to more than double, while Microsoft were way back on $267 billion by this afternoon.

While Apple’s stock has reached record levels many feel it still has a long way to climb during the rest of the year. Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster believes Apple will hit the price target of $670 per share, while Evercore’s Robert Cihra is suggesting a price of $650. Meanwhile both Chris Whitmore of the Deutsche Bank and RBC Capital Markets Mike Abramsky, are predicting a $600 price mark.

These sorts of prices can be expected as the year goes on with a lot of attention already focusing on the next iPhone model, which is predicted by some not to be releasing until the fall. Despite some disappointment with the specs of the iPhone 4S when it was first announced, it hasn’t stopped the device selling huge amounts.

The media frenzy will only increase in the coming days as we get closer to the iPad 3 launch and finally find out what Apple has up its sleeve this time round. Are you surprised how much Apple stock has reason recently?

The company has now confirmed a press event will be taking place on Wednesday March 7th in San Francisco that was rumored to be happening before, and will get under way at 10 A.M PST according to VentureBeat. We have heard a number of rumors regarding what the next iPad will bring to the table this time round, but most have centered on the display and the processor powering the device.

Previously it was thought that the iPad 3 will release with an Apple A6 processor, but recently we heard talk of an upgraded processor going under the codename of A5X. This is believed to be like the existing dual-core A5 unit but upgraded to cope with the extra pixel density thought to be coming with the iPad 3s Retina Display.

The latest speculation we have heard is that the screen size will be the same as the current model, but have a resolution of 2048 x 1536, which is around double that of the iPad 2. There has also been talk the next iPad will feature 4G LTE connectivity along with an upgraded camera, which has been rumored to be similar to the device found on the iPhone 4S.

It has also been suggested the front facing camera will receive an upgrade to support 720p FaceTime calling. Previously we have heard speculation that the iPad 3 will become the second device to officially support the Siri voice assistant feature, which made its debut with the release of the iPhone 4S last October. There were other recent rumors that Apple had begun shipping the iPad 3 the various outlets ahead of the launch.

The invite that you can see above says “we have something you really have to see and touch”, and some are wondering if the company will reveal a new Apple TV device. We told you recently that stock of the Apple TV 2 is running low around the world, which would normally hint at a new model, is on route. Whatever Apple reveals next week you can be sure the team at Product Reviews will keep you informed, so keep an eye on our various social media channels for any news.

Will you be interested in seeing what Apple will showcase at their special media event?