Rumor mill about the iPad 3 has already started churning, despite the fact that the iPad 2 is yet to get official confirmation.

MG Siegler from Tech Crunch has claimed that Apple will likely take wraps off the iPad 3 this fall. The rumor was triggered by blogger John Gruber, who claims to have access to authentic sources inside Apple. Gruber speculated the introduction of the iPad 3 this fall.

But if we look at Apple's pattern of releasing new products, it is unlikely that the iPad 3 will be launched this fall. Usually, Apple's products see their successor after a time period of around one year.

The original iPad was launched on 1st of April 2010. Thus, the iPad 2 should appear sometime around 2011 and the iPad 3 in 2012.

However, some experts are of the view that Gruber's speculation indicates towards something like the iPad 2.5 or iPad 2 Pro, which will be a new higher-end model that will not replace the iPad 2.