What a difference a day makes.
Following speculation early Tuesday that Apple may be forced to delay the release of its second-generation iPad until June due to last-minute design tweaks and production setbacks, the Wall Street Journal’s All Things Digital is now reporting that Apple may introduce it’s long-awaited iPad 2 as early as March 2nd.
Apple will hold its much-anticipated event on March 2, where the tech giant seems poised to unveil a new version of its hugely successful iPad, according to multiple sources.
Although few details are known about the iPad 2, industry analysts expect to see a front-facing camera (for FaceTime video chats) as well as a thinner design and improved display. Apple has sold an estimated 15 million iPads to date.
This is a very big deal, although Apple will be facing increased competition with the launch of a passel of tablets coming from numerous manufacturers, most of which are using the Honeycomb version of Google’s Android mobile operating system.
Kara Swisher of All Things Digital says a venue for the March 2nd event hasn’t been nailed down yet. But the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts – a favorite of Apple’s – will likely be the location for the iPad 2’s big reveal.
At this time, however, there is no reason to believe that Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who currently on medical leave from the company, will lead the presentation.
UPDATE:
On Wednesday morning, Apple began sending out invites to the event scheduled for March 2nd at 10:00 am at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California.
