Apple was expected to unveil the latest version of the iPad on Wednesday as it sought to tighten its grip on the booming tablet computer market.
Apple has offered few hints about what it will show on stage at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco but "all signs point to a new version of iPad," said Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg.
Speculation is that the "iPad 3' will feature a higher resolution display, a faster processor, 4G LTE connectivity and perhaps an improved camera.
Rumours have also been circulating that the California company might make its voice-controlled "virtual assistant" Siri available on the iPad. Siri has been a hit on the iPhone 4S.
Apple has dominated the tablet market since launching the iPad in April 2010 and few expect that to change anytime soon.
IMS Research said Wednesday that Apple is expected to increase its tablet market share to 70 percent in 2012 from 62 percent in 2011 and it will ship 70 million iPads this year, up 71 percent over the previous year.