Coming Soon, iPad 3: Here's What It Could Look Like

It's been just a few months since Apple released the phenomenally popular iPad 2, which is keeping well ahead of the competition. But iPad 3 could be in stores sooner than you think, according to new reports.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the technology giant is aiming to launch iPad 3 in early 2012.

The next-gen tablet is expected to feature a high-res display - 2048 x 1536, compared to iPad 2's 1024 x 768 display, the WSJ said, adding that Apple is already actively working with component suppliers and its assembler in Asia on the tablet.

The display size, at 9.7-inch (diagonal), is expected to be the same as the current iPad 2, according to reports. In the meantime, iPad users have started second-guessing what other improvements Apple could bring to the next-gen tablet.

Bloggers suggest Apple should improve the cameras of the iPad 3. "The current iPad models seems to have used up the remaining stock of cameras from cell phones being produced in 1999," a blogger wrote on iPad 3 Release, a site created for iPad enthusiasts.

Suggestions include a 5 megapixel camera in the rear and a HD camera in the front. Stereo speakers are also on fans' wish list. "The fact that the iPad is to be a media consumption device and only sold with a mono speaker is a joke," the blogger wrote. Meanwhile, one WSJ reader commented that anti-glare technology could be on the cards, so that "fewer consumers feel the need to buy a dedicated ebook reader as well as an iPad."

Another reader recommends that Apple should focus on solving the Adobe Flash problem/conflict. "That would be a truly significant enhancement," the reader said.

Another replied: "In the long run, yes. But right now, it sure is nice to be able to access the full range of Flash-based content -- of which there is an abundance -- on my Android tablet."