The iPad 3 will launch with LTE on AT&T and Verizon, says WSJ

Among many details that have been coming to light regarding the iPad 3 of late, one that is still very much in the air is its support of 4G LTE networks. Now, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that it will indeed come in versions that support the faster networks.

The publication says that person who have been briefed on carrier plans have told it that AT&T and Verizon will both be carrying the LTE version of the new Apple tablet.

Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc. will sell a version of the coming iPad that runs on their newest fourth-generation wireless networks, according to people familiar with the matter, as the battle to cash in on big investments in mobile broadband heats up.

Apple Inc. appears to be planning to announce the latest version of its tablet computer in the first week of March, according to another person briefed on the matter.

There is no word whether Sprint or T-Mobile would be getting the device, although only Sprint has any true 4G capacity, and it has only announced eight market so far, all large cities. AT&T and Verizon are the only networks to have rolled out LTE in any sizable fashion in the US, with Verizon having the larger footprint by far of the two.

If the WSJ report is accurate, it would mean that the new iPad would have to have a significantly improved battery in order to uphold the lofty standards set by the iPad and iPad 2, both of which feature stellar longevity.

The tablet has been heavily rumored to feature a Retina display and a ‘quad-core’ A6 processor as well as the beefed up radio. The increase in screen resolution, contrary to popular belief, would not really eat that much more battery power, and even a newer, brighter dual-LED display would only incur a middling (perhaps 25%) battery life penalty. But, if combined with a 4G radio and a quad-core processor, significant increases in battery life would have to be made.

This is likely why we’re seeing an increased size in some of the prototype chassis out there. Even if improvements have been made to battery technology, a battery that is physically larger is not out of the question in order to support all of these features.

No confirming reports have specifically mentioned the quad-core A6 recently, in the fashion of this WSJ piece, which has all of the feel of a controlled leak, something Apple has been known to take part in, in order to manage expectations surrounding a release.

A report today from iMore’s Rene Ritchie, which was later confirmed by The Loop’s Jim Dalrymple, puts the announcement of the iPad 3 on Wednesday, March 7th. We have previously reported that Apple is in high gear preparing demonstration apps for both the presentation event and the advertisements for the new iPad that will follow.