New iPads Imminent? Source Claims Taiwan Manufacturer Already Taking Orders

Customers look at the iPod and iPad 2 at the Apple retail store in San Francisco, California November 17, 2011

DigiTimes may be the new 50-50, as in “half the time they’re kind of right,” “half the time they’re mostly wrong,” but okay, we’ll bite: Another supply chain source just told the rumormonger that Taiwanese electronics supplier Pegatron is already taking orders for Apple’s next iPad.

Whether it’s an iPad 3 or just an iPad 2.5 is anyone’s guess — DT says “supply chain players” call it the former in a placeholder sense — but what the site seems sure of, is that it’ll launch in March, followed in October by a so-called “iPad 4″ with order volume of between 7 and 10 million units.

Less interesting from a consumer standpoint (but hypothetically as important from an availability vantage) DT’s source says Apple will shift its product outsourcing responsibilities so that manufacturers aren’t doubling up on production: Pegatron will focus on iPad production first and the iPhone in a secondary capacity, while manufacturer Foxconn Electronics will do the reverse. Apple reportedly hopes the arrangement will “decrease risk and increase the quality of its products.”

True or false? As usual, we have no idea, other than to speculate based on timing — since the iPad 2 debuted in March 2011 and the original iPad arrived in April 2010, it stands to reason we’ll see whatever’s next in March/April 2012. As they say, even a broken clock’s right twice a day.

Adapted from TIME