Save the date! Apple preparing to unveil the newest iPad model on March 7

Save the date! Apple preparing to unveil the newest iPad model on March 7 - San Francisco 'special event' to launch iPad 3 - Same size and shape as current iPad 2 - Will offer high-definition screen and Siri voice-activated personal assistant - New apps being tweaked to work with faster A6 processor - Seven-inch iPad 'due later this year', says analyst

iPad 2: New device will reportedly look similar, but with a higher-res screen, faster processor and Siri

It's been speculated for months, but the latest on the rumour mill indicates the launch of a third generation iPad is weeks away.

Multiple reports indicate that the next iPad, popularly known as the iPad 3, will be introduced to the public on March 7.

Details about the forthcoming device are under tight lock and key, but speculation has indicated that the next iPad will have much higher-resolution screen and the Siri voice-activated personal assistant.

The tech blog iMore reported that the new device is also rumoured to feature the anticipated 2048x1536 Retina display, and the quad-core Apple A6 chip to boost its speed and effectiveness.

Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research said last week that a March debut of the gadget was a 'sure bet'.

Speaking to Computer World, Mr Gotteil said: 'It will have a higher-resolution screen'.

'That's important to them because it means the iPad will work well with home cinema systems, since it will display full HD.

Leaked images also hint at a casing that looks similar to iPad 2. The validity of those pictures, could not be determined.

All Things D, a blog owned by Dow Jones, reported that the device will be introduced during a special Apple event in San Francisco.

The late Steve Jobs introduced the previous iPad there at about the same time last year.

Gottheil also believes that Apple will bring out the seven-inch tablet in the second half of this year to combat the threat of Amazon's successful Kindle Fire tablet, which has shipped six million units so far, according to analyst estimates.

The late Apple CEO and founder Steve Jobs was vehemently against seven-inch tablets, saying that the small screen damaged the user experience, and predicting that seven-inch tablets would be 'dead on arrival'.

Pacific Crest analyst Chad Bartley predicts that Amazon will launch a nine-inch model and a revamped seven inch model in mid-2012

But Gottheil says that the tablet has 'always been in the plan.'

Demand for Amazon's tablet has been driven by its low price - $199.

The entry-level iPad model is $499. Any seven-inch iPad would presumably be cheaper.

'Seven inches is a good form factor for some users, and although they will also charge a premium above other similar-sized tablets, they want to protect that price flank,' says Gottheil.

Gottheil also predicts it might be accompanied by a Bluetooth keyboard for students.

The new version of Apple's hit tablet computer will be unveiled at a special event in San Francisco on March 7, according to reports

Various Apple accessory companies were showing off iPad 3 cases behind closed doors at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, all of which hinted at a gadget broadly similar in shape to last year's.

Popular Apple-watching website iLounge claimed to have seen a prototype behind the scenes at the show.

The site's editor-in-chief, Jeremy Horwitz said: 'From the front, the next iPad and iPad 2 appear to look basically the same—apart, of course, from the screen. That’s going to be Apple’s big focus when the new device is announced.' ( dailymail.co.uk )