Apple iPad 3 to launch March 7

Apple has confirmed it will launch its third generation iPad on March 7, following claims a massive shipment of the devices was en route to the US from China.

The event will be held in San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts at 10 am Pacific Standard Time on Wednesday 7 March, according to The Verge, which posted the invite.

There’s no indication yet what the next iPad will actually be called despite all rumours about the device falling under the banner of iPad 3, in line with its previous releases.

Apple’s invite to select media came just days after a Chinese Apple-focussed blog Apple.pro claimed to produce cargo documentation concerning the iPad3’s delivery to several US airports by March 9, now confirmed to be two days after the unveiling.

The image on the invite (pictured) gives little away about the device's shape or style, but The Verge speculates the resolution is higher while the casing appears darker than previous versions.