Middle East ready to embrace iPad3, says retailer

Rumours of the impending launch of Apple's iPad 3 have gained momentum, as the firm sent invites to journalists for an event in San Francisco, with what appeared to be a tablet device featured on the invite itself.
The event is to be held on March 7th, close to the anniversary of the launching of the iPad2 last year.

Apple has enjoyed continued success in the Middle East and any new launch is not expected to buck that trend. "Apple has been the dominant tablet player in this region and should continue to be going forward as well. Whether the iPad makes the leap that consumers expect or not, we've seen the power of brand Apple," Ashish Panjabi, COO of Jacky's Electronics tells AMEinfo.com.

"The iPhone 4S wasn't a major step forward over the iPhone 4 but in spite of this, millions of people upgraded their devices and many more people bought an iPhone 4S even though they were expecting an iPhone 5," he adds.

iPad 3 could feature retina screen

Reports have suggested that the new version of the iPad will feature a 'retina' screen, with four times the previous number of pixels in the display and could also have 4G capabilities for high speed networks.

Apple-focused website iMore claims that the device will feature a quad-core processor. The current version used a dual core A5 chip, meaning if this rumour is true, the tablet will be a lot more powerful.

Whatever is launched next Wednesday, those in the Middle East will be hoping that it is available as soon as possible in this region, and some of the other Apple features are thrown in as well.

"While Apple has an impressive App Store, what is still lacking in the Middle East is the ability to download from Apple the movies, music and TV show that they sell in other parts of the world," says Panjabi.