Not surprisingly, Apple is sticking to its regular iPad release cycle and will introduce the third-generation tablet with retina display in early 2012, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Citing people familiar with the situation, the Journal said production on the new iPads is expected to start in October and that Apple has already ordered 1.5 million devices.
The updated tablets will include a bump in resolution, from 1024-by-768 to 2048-by-1536. The screen will remain 9.7 inches.
The news follows a report from earlier this week that said issues with adding a retina display to the iPad derailed plans for the fall release. Digitimes said Apple originally targeted the second half of 2011 for a new iPad launch, with nearly two million units planned for the third quarter and upwards of six million for the fourth quarter. But the company apparently couldn't get it together in time. Whether or not this is actually true or just a clever way to backtrack on an unsubstantiated rumor is anyone's guess, but the release of two iPads in one year was an unlikely move from the start.
Apple unveiled the iPad 2 in March. Though a third-gen tablet would undoubtedly be popular if released next month, the focus as it relates to Apple is currently the iPhone 5. Apple broke with tradition and did not unveil a revamped iPhone in June. The latest rumors on that front claim that Apple will start taking pre-orders for the iPhone 5 in late September and ship in October.
For more, see What the iPhone 5 Might Look Like and Six Amazing Phone Technologies We Want in iPhone 5. And check out the 8 Likely iPhone 5 Rumors, and 2 Wild Ones slideshow below.