Rumor: iPad 3 to start $70-$80 higher than previous models

According to the rumor mill, the iPad 3 is going to employ some pretty amazing features. We’ve heard it could contain everything from a high resolution Retina display, to a new processor, and a 5MP camera. There has even been talk of it having LTE.

A lot of folks, however, have wondered how Apple would be able to maintain the tablet’s $499 entry price point with so many high-end components. Well according to some new evidence, it couldn’t…

MacRumors points to an interesting post on a Weibo (like a Chinese Twitter) account that appears to offer some iPad 3 pricing details. As you can see in the chart above, someone thinks that Apple’s next tablet will be more expensive than previous models.

We have to say that we’re fairly skeptical of the legitimacy of this pricing matrix. Bumping the price of its Wi-Fi iPad model $80 doesn’t seem like an Apple move. Especially considering that it has kept all of its iOS products at or under their original prices over the past 5 years.

This isn’t the first unverified rumor we’ve seen surface on the Chinese micro blogging site. Over the weekend another poster published alleged evidence that iPad 3 shipments were already in route to the US.

It’s certainly possible that Apple’s next tablet could receive a price bump due to its new features. But we don’t think it’s very likely. Well at least with the iPad 3 media event expected on March 7th, we don’t have to wait too much longer to find out.

What do you think? Would you pay $80 more for a new iPad?