January didn’t quite start yet and we’re already piling up tons of rumors about the upcoming iPad 3, even though there’s a decent amount of time until the device is supposedly scheduled for launch, somewhere around March, gossip says. But that’s the things about rumors, they change, and they change fast. And given the history of Apple gossip, we shouldn’t put all of our trust in what’s paraded around the Internet as reliable information. There’s still so much we don’t know.

For example, we’re not sure if the next generation iPad will even support Siri. For rumor lovers its seems a no brainer that the virtual assistant would be incorporated into the iPad 3 but as long as Apple doesn’t provide any official comments we shouldn’t get our hopes up.

Another lingering and frustrating question that no one seems to be able to answer correctly is when exactly are we going to be seeing the device on the market. Yes, Apple shipped fresh versions of its devices every year or so, but Tim Cook hinted at the possibility of adding quad-core processors to the iPad 3. Such an upgrade will definitely delay the production.

How about the cost? We’re pretty much in the dark about that issue as well. We’re inclined to believe that the price will be similar to the previous iPad, but again, until Apple makes an official statement no one can tell.

What about form? Amazon Kindle Fire already proved that smaller 7-inch like tablets can actually work and people love it, so might Apple abandon the trusty 9.7-inch screen and take up the route of Kindle Fire?

Also, is a brand-new design in the cards? Some call the iPad 2 the least visually desirable product of the whole Apple line. So it would make sense, according to gossip spreaders that Apple will try to reinvent the iPad.

We don’t have a consensus even when we talk about the features. Will the iPad 3 sport a retina display? Some people believed that the iPad 2 would be the first device to incorporate the retina display, but Apple proved them wrong. Taking into account the high costs involved with such technology, costumers might be disappointed again. Best is to wait and see.

Source: eweek