Apple will begin production of the next-generation iPad a little later than originally planned, but production is set to ramp up beginning in late February for an early April 2011 launch, according to sources for DigiTimes. A delay in the firmware is said to have pushed back plans to begin building new iPads in January, but initial shipments from OEM Foxconn should be as high as 600,000 units as Apple stockpiles inventory for its introduction.

Component suppliers have been notified that production for the "iPad 2" should begin within 100 days, with initial shipments going to Apple as soon as the end of February. But don't expect the new iPad to be available before April 2011—just one year after the launch of the original models.

When the iPad first launched, constrained supply made the device hard to find for those who didn't pre-order. The unexpected popularity also caused Apple to delay the international launch by at least a month. Now that the iPad is available globally—and Apple keeps adding availability in new countries on a continuing basis—Apple will need to build significantly more inventory for the launch of the second generation device during the month of March.

A secondary Foxconn factory in Chengdu is still in pilot production and not yet ready to supplement Foxconn's Shenzen plant, which is expected to build most of the initial second-gen iPad supply.

The next generation iPad is widely rumored to come equipped with a FaceTime camera for video calling and a gyroscope for advanced motion control sensing, much like the iPhone 4. It is also expected to be thinner than the previous model and have an improved display, and may even include a built-in USB connector (though you can color us skeptical on that last point).