iPad 3 launch rumours doing the rounds

According to several news sites, the latest tablet from Apple is due on 7 March

Apple is remaining tight-lipped over mounting speculation that it is due to launch the iPad 3 next month.

According to a report on the Guardian, Apple will unveil the third version of its tablet at an event in San Francisco, although the vendor, in typical form, told the newspaper that it "does not comment on rumour and speculation".

Speculation is rife that the device will have a "retina screen" with four times as many pixels as the existing model, and could include 4G connectivity.

Apple shipped more than 15 million iPads in the fourth quarter of 2011 according to figures released from Canalys, with sales growing 111 per cent in the quarter.

The vendor's share price also smashed the $500 mark for the first time in the firm's history this week, marking its continued position as one of the world's most valuable companies. Back in 2009 the firm's share price was a mere $89.31.