Apple iPad 3 news: less than a month away?

If you didn't get that Apple iPad you'd been praying for in your stocking, get ready to laugh at the losers that did: according to reports, you can spend your Christmas money on an iPad 3 at the end of January.

According to reports over at DigiTimes, two next gen Apple tablet PCs will arrive on January 26 (at iWorld) to compliment the existing iPad2, rather than replace it.

If the rumour is true, and the new versions hit new price points, it would make sound commercial sense. Apple's iPhones have been losing ground to Android because of a lack of choice, particularly at the budget price point.

While Apple unsurprisingly declined to comment on the rumour, DigiTimes claims they come from a reliable source (apparently at its supply chain partners).

While there had been talk of a smaller iPad, the fresh rumours mention a 9.7-inch QXGA touchscreen with dual-LED light bars to make the new iPads brighter. As for the processor, it seems the Samsung/Apple squabbles haven't stopped the latter turning to the former for its quad-core A6 model.

Are these rumours true? Who knows. But we'll be sure to keep you up to date with anything else we hear about.