A new report claims Apple manufacturers Foxconn and Pegatron have begun assembly of the third-generation iPad and are aiming to send their first shipments by early March.



From Apple Insider:

Citing a Chinese source, Japanese Mac site MacOtakara reported on Wednesday that Foxconn will take on 85 percent of the production load of Apple's next iPad, while Pegatron will produce 15 percent of orders, similar to the division for the iPhone 4S. If true, the report would appear to corroborate a separate rumor from earlier in the week that Pegatron had received a "small volume of orders" for the device.

The source noted that this year's earlier-than-usual Chinese New Year festival, which runs from Jan. 23-28, will allow for an accelerated production schedule for the next-generation iPad.

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