The Japanese website Macotakara claims Apple will not launch the iPad 3 in February as previously suggested. Instead blogger Danbo says Apple will hold a "strange" event this month followed by a product announcement and launch in March. Macotakara previously cited an Asian supplier and a source in the U.S. as saying Apple would announce the iPad 3 in February. Danbo's new report is more in line with other rumors that have suggested the iPad 3 will be released next month.

As for the "strange" event I can only guess Danbo is talking about a similar affair like Apple's iBooks announcement in New York. Perhaps Apple only wants to focus on its next generation iPad in March, instead of boring us with Cards apps like they did at the Let’s Talk iPhone event last year.

An iPad 3 announcement is still weeks away, but there's no shortage of information on the next generation iOS device. The latest leaks from BGR confirm some important specifications we can expect to see in the iPad 3 hardware.

Screenshots have leaked to BGR of iBoot allegedly running on a prototype iPad 3. Thanks to this debug software, confirmation of several reports from the supply chain appear to be verified on the new hardware itself.

Next generation iPad cases have already begun popping up in China. The latest comes from the case manufacturer Chinee, who claims Apple will release a slightly thicker iPad, possibly called the iPad 2S, sometime this year.

Case manufacturers have already led us astray with the iPhone 5, and now they're starting to contradict each other when it comes to the next generation iPad. An unnamed iPad case designer recently told Cult of Mac that the iPad 3 would be thinner, not thicker. However, Chinee claims to have inside information from sources within Apple’s supply chain. If Chinee is correct, the new iPad will be 1mm thicker than the iPad 2.

A new report from the Japanese website Macotakara (via 9to5Mac) claims the iPad 3 will be announced in early February. This confirms Bloomberg's claim that iPad manufacturers are ramping up production for a possible March release.

Bloomberg said the next generation iPad will feature a high-definition screen, faster processor and LTE capabilities. Previous iPad 3 rumors have suggested a thicker device, HD front-facing camera, and Retina Display.

The iPad 3 rumors are starting to contradict themselves like the iPhone 5 rumors did last year. Cult of Mac cited a " major accessory manufacturer" who said the next generation iPad will be thinner, not thicker as previously reported.

This contradicts many previous claims that the iPad 3 will be thicker due to the new Retina Display.

"While Apple’s predilection for increasingly thinner devices with every generation is well known, the most recent report coming from CES has the iPad 3”s casing pegged as marginally thicker than the iPad 2”s due to the increased demands of the Retina Display, which requires thicker illumination. Our report contradicts that most recent report."

Sounds like those expecting a complete redesign of the iPad in the next generation hardware will be disappointed according to a new report. Apparently iLounge was lucky enough to get their hands on a prototype iPad, and the name iPad 2S is more appropriate than iPad 3 considering the profile of the device.

According to the report, the next iPad is barely thicker than the current iPad 2 model, to the tune of one millimeter. The only visible change to the hardware is a larger rear camera, which resembles that of the iPhone 4S. This includes a silver ring around the camera lens.

Is Apple going to release the iPad 3 and 4 in 2012!?! It's not as crazy as it sounds, but the report does come from Asian supply chain watcher DigiTimes; who doesn't have the best track record when it comes to Apple rumors. Citing "Taiwan industry sources," the DigiTimes writes that Apple is prepping to release two iPad models in 2012. The so-called "iPad 3" will feature a QXGA (1,536x2,048 pixels) display and longer battery life. The so-called "iPad 4" will ship with many "upgraded hardware specifications and integrated applications." The iPad 2 will be reduced to $399 to compete with Sony, Motorola Mobility and Samsung Electronics' cheaply priced tablet PCs.

This may sound like a new rumor, but it's actually not. Component suppliers are just using the names "iPad 3" and "iPad 4" to describe what could be the new mid-range and high-end Apple tablets we've been hearing so much about. Previous reports from the supply chain have claimed Apple is working on a "complete iPad series" for 2012. The new iPad line will feature a $299 to $399 entry-level Wi-Fi only iPad, a new mid-range iPad and the high-end iPad 3. The new iPad line is supposedly Apple's plan to compete the Amazon Kindle Fire and Google's rumored new tablet PC.

The latest iPad rumors come from iLounge‘s Jeremy Horwitz' Twitter feed (via 9to5Mac). According to Horwitz, the next generation iPad will feature a front-facing FaceTime HD camera, and the rear camera will be more "iPhone 4S-like." 9to5Mac also heard Apple was prepping an 8-megapixel camera for the iPad 3 last summer.

Horwitz also tweeted that the iPad 3 will be thicker like previous reports have suggested. This is due to the rumored dual OLED backlights for the improved LCD display.

“Curve radiuses on the body will change only a little to accommodate the added thickness, not dramatically. Think iPad 2 Pro, not a redesign."

"Body of the next iPad is, as we previously reported, getting just a little thicker to accommodate new parts - little = 1mm give or take."

Apple is poised to retain its dominance of the tablet market worldwide, and one leak of information after another is streaming out of Asia to reveal glimpses of what's next. Reports of more than one iPad model on the horizon are not new, however DigiTimes research indicates there could be three tiered models coming early this year.

The flagship model iPad 3 would be a high-end device featuring an updated screen with Retina-like resolution and top specs, including a next generation A6 mobile processor. A second tier A6-equipped iPad would feature the same insides however with a display matching the resolution of the iPad 2, which would reduce the price. Here's the kicker:

News of Apple's move towards IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) technology in the iPhone 5 display is not new, however reports have surfaced that show Apple could be using IGZO in the next generation iPad. The current iPad uses an IPS (in-plane switching) display, which provides a large viewing angle.

As seen in the diagram above from Semiconductor Portal, one advantage of an IGZO display is improved electron mobility. This means display pixels can be smaller (higher resolution) and more light passes through the IGZO display from the backlight. This reduces the brightness level needed from the backlight and saves power.