Rumor: Taiwanese OEM receives iPad 3 orders, could help with the PS4

According to new insider talk, Apple has sent out orders for its next iPad. Taiwan-based Pegatron, which manufactures myriad consumer electronics including laptops and gaming systems, recently received a “small volume” of them for the iPad 3, said insider news source DigiTimes.

The iPad 3 will hit shelves in March, with the iPad 4 due out this fall, reported the site.

It’s unclear if the numbers mean the unconfirmed devices are full-blown new iterations, or simply tweaked versions of the current model. The iPad 2 was released last March, so a true next-gen version debuting in two months seems plausible. On the other hand, the so-called iPad 4 may just be a lower-cost iPad 2 revision.

The outlet also revealed that Apple is looking into rearranging both iPad and iPhone manufacturing processes and has even sent employees to China to verify Pegatron can deliver on the new schedule:

The sources pointed out that Apple will also start changing its outsourcing strategy and will have Pegatron primarily focus on production of the iPad series products with production of the iPhone series products as an auxiliary in 2013, while the strategy for Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) is vice versa.

The insiders related another interesting tidbit about a device yet to be officially announced: the PlayStation 4. Though Sony recently refuted prospects of a grand unveiling at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, the next-gen console’s production may also (eventually) be handled by Pegatron.

The company’s history with the popular gaming brand – Pegatron and Foxconn Electronics were both tapped by Sony to help manufacture the PlayStation 3’s redesign in 2009 – would make it an unsurprising choice. (via DigiTimes)