Asian canaries revive 'one year, two iPads' launch rumour

The notion that Apple will release not one but two new iPads this year is back. If you're hoping one will be a 7in tablet, you may be disappointed: both models are 9.7-inchers, moles maintain.

Assuming they actually know, of course…

Either way, they're saying the first of the pair will be the eagerly awaited iPad with a 2048 x 1536 display - double the number of pixels in each axis over the current iPad 2.

It's been said before, but the moles insist the current model will continue, but priced $100 cheaper than it is at the moment, DigiTimes reports.

Come Q4, and Apple will ship an 'iPad 4' for which the Taiwanese whispers can say nothing other than it will sport "much upgraded hardware specifications and integrated applications" to take on not only this year's crop of Android tablets but also new Windows 8 models too.

Hmmm. Heard it before. This time last year there were rumours that the iPad 3 would be released in the autumn of 2011, the better to help Apple combat Android tablets. As we know, it wasn't released and, by all accounts, won't be out until March.

We can see the inevitable iPad 4 likewise slipping to March 2013. It's hard to see even Windows 8 seriously slowing the iPad 3's momentum, especially when it will have been on sale for seven months by the time the moles' claimed iPad 4 release data, October, comes around. ®