Rumour suggests Apple will unveil thinner, better battery life iPad in March 2012

Apple may be set to release an updated thinner version of the iPad 2 in March 2012, according to a report from 9to5mac.

Citing a DigiTimes article, it suggests that a thinner designed iPad with improved battery life will arrive in March but, like the recent iPhone 4S launch, the rumoured new device is likely to be an updated iPad 2 given the small changes.

Fans awaiting the iPad 3 will need to wait a little longer although Digitimes suggests that the device could arrive as early as “the third quarter of 2012”.

Would Apple really release an updated iPad 2 and new iPad 3 within months of each other? It seems unlikely that both rumours are correct given Apple’s track record of introducing new products although Digitimes is known to be a reliable source.

Nonetheless, DigiTimes also suggests that Apple will produce 2 million devices before the end of the year, that’s double the prediction that Susquehanna Financial analyst Jeff Fidacaro made in October.

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New devices could include HD screens after Apple was reported to be testing the technology from both Samsung and LG with a view to including it in future iPad releases.

Reports in August suggests that Apple was testing its prototype iPad 3 in October but no leaks and more details were forthcoming of the rumoured device last month.