Is the iPad 3 at CES? ~ Pare News

Rumors about the next-generation iPad have been swirling around the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week, with some saying a prototype of the new version of the Apple tablet is actually at the event.

According to a report by iLounge, you could walk right by the new iPad and not even know it. The tech blog is reporting that it saw the next-generation iPad and that it looks just like the iPad 2, only thicker by about 1 mm. The camera in the top left corner is expected to be a bit larger than the iPad 2 and similar to the improved camera featured on the iPhone 4S.

iLounge reported last year that it had seen an iPad 2 mock-up case at CES and the exclusive was later proven correct. In addition, MacRumors recently cited Japanese reports that Foxconn and Pegatron – two key manufacturing partners for Apple – have started producing the next-generation iPad and plan to ship the device in March.

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It's also been rumored that the next-generation iPad will have a high-resolution screen and a stronger interior but the updates seen by iLounge seem to be more cosmetic than structural. Could the next-generation device be an upgrade similar to that of the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 4S?

If the rumors hold true, most of the accessories that are compatible with the iPad 2 would work with Apple's next-generation device. Accessory companies, however, might need to cook up new covers to fit if the thickness is actually 1 mm larger than the iPad 2.

Apple is expected to announce the new product in the next two months.

Do you think the rumors are true? And if so, what do you think the next-generation iPad will be like?

For more coverage from 2012 Consumer Electronics Show, click here.