Is Best Buy clearing its shelves for the arrival of the iPad 3? The store has knocked $50 off all versions of the iPad 2, and there are also reports that the new model is on its way to the US from Apple's manufacturing base in China, with deliveries expected between February 26 and March 9.
Apple looks to be a step closer to announcing details of the latest iteration of its iPad device with two new developments over the weekend.
On Sunday, Best Buy began efforts to clear its inventory of iPad 2 devices by discounting all versions of the device by $50, with the 16GB, 32GB and 64B Wi-Fi-only models now priced at $450, $550 and $650 respectively, and the 3G models now retailing for $580, $680 and $780 respectively.
Reports also surfaced over the weekend suggesting Foxconn, the Taiwan-based company that manufactures Apple’s popular tablet, is preparing to ship the device from its Chengdu plant to retailers in the US. A shipping document apparently relating to the consignment was posted on a Chinese microblogging site indicating that delivery to the US is expected to take place between February 26 and March 9. The new product is expected to enter the US via Chicago, New York and LA airports.
Such a delivery date would tie in nicely with the expected unveiling date of the iPad 3 — March 7 — making it likely that it’ll be available in stores almost immediately.
As we know all too well, Apple does a sterling job of keeping the lid on leaks about new products, with the iPad 3 proving no exception. Of course, secrecy fuels the rumor mill, and in the past couple of months, speculation has been rife about what to expect with Apple’s third-generation tablet. The general consensus appears to be that it’ll come with the new, faster A6 processor, Apple’s Retina high-resolution display, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and support for 4G LTE networks.
Apple’s iPad currently dominates the tablet market, with the company having sold more than 55 million units since its launch in April 2010.
