Apple Inc.’s next iPad, expected to go on sale in March, will sport a high-definition screen, run a faster processor and work with next-generation wireless networks, according to three people familiar with the product.
The company’s manufacturing partners in Asia started ramping up production of the iPad 3 this month and plan to reach full volumes by February, said one of the people, who asked not to be named because the details aren’t public. The tablet will use a quad-core chip, an enhancement that lets users jump more quickly between applications, two of the people said.
Chief executive Tim Cook is counting on the new model to ward off mounting competition in a market that Apple pioneered two years ago.
After its debut in 2010, the iPad emerged as the company’s second-biggest source of revenue — after the iPhone — and inspired rival products from Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.
Apple has sold more than 40 million iPads, generating at least $25.3 billion in sales.
