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The iPad 3 is imminent. Forget Mobile World Congress. Forget the patent wars. And definitely forget Oscar memes. There's a new Apple gadget coming, and it's going to be big.
Literally big, perhaps. There's a rumor circulating that the iPad 3 is actually going to be thicker than the iPad 2. That seems unlikely for a company that's prided itself on creating the thinnest and sleekest gadgets possible. However, another iPad 3 rumor hints at a different kind of heft: a weightier price tag.
This one is a little more credible, but not much. After all, Apple has kept the same prices through two generations of iPads. To change that now -- especially when competitors like the Kindle Fire are steering tablet price points down -- seems ludicrous on the surface.
But consider: Those same competitors are putting pressure on Apple to keep the iPad as cutting-edge as possible. Other tablets are integrating technologies like quad-core processors, 4G LTE connectivity and even different form factors to gain any edge over the iPad. Also, keep in mind this is the Apple gadget that's going to compete with all those Windows 8 tablets poised to debut this fall.
For those reasons, Apple's going to need to stuff the iPad 3 full of tricks to keep its long lead over other devices. And some of those tricks cost serious money. Even though nothing's official yet, we've rounded up the most likely rumors that could drive up the price on the next iPad.