iPad 3 Retina Display Production Reportedly Now In Progress

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It seems like the iPad 3 will have every bit of pre-launch buzz that the iPhone 4S did, as reports are coming in stating that Retina Display panels are currently under construction for the iPad 3 even as you read this. But what, if anything, does this mean for launch dates as well as the earlier rumored launch schedule?

Not so long ago, recently found snippets of code in iOS 5 suggested that future iOS powered devices may end up with support for Retina Display panels. And while this was an interesting development in its own right, it’s followed promptly by reports that production of the panels themselves is already in progress out at the manufacturer level. Current projections from the reports suggest that finished devices could be ready by the end of the year, with shippable units ready in January and volumes to increase in February and March, which makes a very important suggestion that Apple may be looking to release something sometime near the middle of next year, which is approximately when the iPad 2 made its debut.

Of course, we’ve already heard stories previously about different types of iPad–one a small revamping and the other a completely new product–so just which one might get shown off first is as yet unclear. And the reports further go on to say that there’s currently “no reason” Apple couldn’t put together a smaller iPad–keeping in line with the reports of same we’d heard earlier–if there was demand for such a product. And further, Apple should have, at last report, no trouble keeping up with production targets as they’re now set to go through fully three suppliers: Sharp, LG, and surprisingly, Samsung.

It’s worth noting that we hear a lot about the Apple line of products, and most of it comes by way of analysts and supply chain sources, so any of this is subject to change at any time. But still, we all could reasonably figure that a new iPad would be coming out fairly soon, so this news serves to cement that mostly given point.

So what do you guys think about this? Will we see the Retina Display panels on iPads sooner than we may have expected? Will they be part of a different line of tablets to hit later on? Or will something change in mid-stream to lose our access to the Retina Display? No matter what you think, we want to hear from you, so head on down to the comments section and tell us what you think!