Is Apple planning to launch the iPad 3 on Steve Jobs’s birthday next year? The idea might sound more like a conspiracy theory than a rumor but if you’re looking for an update on when Apple might be launching its iPad 3, a new report says late-February. According to Focus Taiwan, Apple’s component suppliers and manufacturing partners are hustling to build enough devices in time to get the tablet on store shelves by February 24th — Steve Jobs’s birthday. Foxconn, which is reportedly building between 9.5 million and 9.7 million units, has allegedly asked its workers to work through the Lunar New Year holiday. While anything is possible at this point, the date doesn’t quite match up with earlier rumors that suggested Apple will launch the device in March or April. The new iPad 3 is expected to offer a slightly revamped design and a high-resolution Retina Display, but Apple may have some competition right out of the gate this time around — BGR exclusively reported earlier this month that Samsung is planning to unveil a tablet with a Retina-like resolution in February.

[Via 9to5Mac]

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