iPad 3 to feature quad-core processor, launch in March?

Apple's iPad 3 has allegedly had its specs and release date leaked.

Bloomberg reports that the tech giant's manufacturing partners have been ordered to increase productivity during February ahead of the device's launch the following month.

iPad 3 is said to be powered by a quad-core processor, feature a high-resolution "Retina" display and offer 4G LTE connectivity for faster data transfer on the move. The new tablet will also host a larger battery to handle to greater power demands.

"The new display is capable of greater resolution than the current iPad, with more pixels on its screen than some high-definition televisions," the report claims to have heard from an inside source.

"The pixels are small enough to make the images look like printed material, according to the person. Videos begin playing almost instantly because of the additional graphics processing."

Japanese blog Macotakara backs up the claims, having posted near identical information earlier this week.

iPad 3's form factor has been the subject of intense speculation in the past. Some reports claim that it will be thinner than the iPad 2, while others suggest that its more advanced hardware could mean it will be thicker. It has also been suggested that the tablet could feature the same dimensions as its predecessor.

Apple released the iPad 2 in March last year. The device is the world's best-selling tablet by a significant margin.