Rumor: iPad 3 already shipping from China

With the iPad 3 rumored to be announced in the first week of March, 9to5mac’s Mark Gurman has provided a few more tidbits about the iPad 3’s launch this evening. 9to5mac has obtained a leaked shipping document indicating that the iPad 3 has already begun shipping from China and is making its way to US airports. The document says that deliveries are set to take place March 9th.

Next, there’s word that Apple could be taking pre-orders for the iPad 3. You may recall that the iPad 2 wasn’t available for pre-order, while the original iPad was…

9to5mac says that iPad 3 pre-orders could begin as early as March 7th, or possibly a few days later. A couple weeks ago, we reported that the iPad 3 will be announced March 7th.

The iPad 3 is rumored to have a Retina display, quad-core processor, upgraded cameras, LTE, and Siri support. Apple’s new tablet is also rumored to ship with iOS 5.1.

Additionally, 9to5mac reports that Apple may launch a second product in March — which is most likely to be the upgraded Apple TV we’ve been hearing about over the past few months. Most likely shipping at $99, it’s rumored to have 1080p and Bluetooth 4 support.

Lastly, the report indicates that Apple may keep around the iPad 2 at a lower price point. Apple will discontinue all of the iPad 2’s, except the black and white 16GB units, to sell them for cheaper than the iPad 3.

With these rumors dropping in, an early March launch seems like a definite reality. It’s just a matter of what date exactly, we’re waiting on. Apple should be sending out invites to their press event in the coming days.

Are you excited for the iPad 3?

[9to5mac]