Apple's iPad 3 'expected on 7 March'

10:34 29 February 2012

Apple's iPad 3 is expected to be launched, after the company announced an event on 7 March.

Invitations have been sent to journalists, which read:

"We have something you really have to see. And Touch."

While not officially confirming the iPad 3's launch, the message was accompanied by an image showing what looked like and iPad touchscreen.

Last year, sales of Apple's iPad 2 began in the US nine days after the launch - which also happened in March.

The iPad range has sold more that 50million units around the world since it first went on sale in 2010.

The iPad's success, however, has spawned a number of new tablet devices, with Google, Blackberry and Samsung launching their own versions to attempt to compete.

Experts are also expecting a new category of tablet devices powered by Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 operating system.