Latest on the iPad 3: Dual-Core (Not Quad-Core) CPU, Bigger Battery, and March Unveil Date

Apple’s iPad 3 announcement is imminent, so it’s no surprise that firmer details on that tablet are surfacing. At least according to sources who spoke to The Verge, hopes for a quad-core iPad may be a bit too lofty. Instead, the next tablet could run a dual-core processor like its predecessor.

More news comes from Cult of Mac, which posted leaked images of the tablet’s internal components. The photos, provided by UK iDevice repair specialist iPatch, indicate that the iPad 3′s inside are quite different from what’s under the iPad 2′s hood. The design of components such as the cable for the volume, wake/sleep, and mute buttons is significantly changed, though the photos don’t indicate that the iPad 3 will look dramatically different from the iPad 2 on the outside. Most interesting, though, is that it looks like the iPad 3 is designed to accommodate a larger battery.

One more update to your ever-changing iPad 3 forecast: Don’t count on that announcement happening in February. As we previously reported, it’s been widely expected that Apple will unveil the tablet early this month and release it in March, but All Things D reports that the iPad 3 will happen the first week of March.

via All Things D,  Cult of Mac, The Verge

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