As the new year approaches, there's a surge in rumors about the next-generation iPad. Consistent reports have indicated that the tablet will get a refresh ahead of its one-year anniversary in April, which would mean that production should start ramping up right about now. Rumors out of the Asian supply chain say that suppliers have been picked for the 2G iPad, and one financial analyst is claiming that the new model will have a "world-mode" chip that can run on both AT&T's and Verizon's networks.
DigiTimes, the hit-or-miss electronics industry gossip newspaper out of Taiwan, says that Apple has chosen circuit board suppliers for the 2011 iPad. Production of any-layer high-density interconnect (HDI) circuit boards will begin at Ibiden, Tripod Technology and TTM Technologies in December