It’s that time of year again – the time of year when Apple rumors start to fly. This time around, it’s not the iPhone 5 that’s gaining a lot of attention. Instead, it is the iPad 3. For some time now, those who have considered purchasing an iPad 2 have been waiting patiently for Apple to make an iPad 3 announcement. Apple hasn’t made any such announcement yet, but there are plenty of rumors circulating that will have your head in a tizzy if you want to check out the iPad 3.

What will it look like and when will it arrive? Tech blogs across the Internet are teaming with details today, and I’m here to put them all into one place just for you. If you have an iPad 2 on your holiday list, you should know that this tablet is still the best out there. But, you might want to wait a few months until the iPad 3 comes out. If the rumors circulating are accurate in the least, the new iPad will be worth waiting for.

Thin Is In

From smartphones to competitor tablets, thin seems to be in. Therefore, it should come as no real surprise that one of the most popular rumors at the moment is that the iPad 3 will be a much thinner version of the iPad 2. Forbes Magazine recently included an iPad 3 article that detailed a Sharp display and a much thinner frame. As with all other iPad 3 news though, this is simply a rumor. However, it is a rumor that might make a lot of sense. The one complaint (and it’s not really widely heard) that iPad 2 owners have is that this tablet is a bit on the thick side. If Apple were to make a thinner tablet, consumers might be more inclined to purchase the slicker version.

A Competitive Tablet

The other important rumor to pay attention to is the rumor that Apple will create a 7-inch mini iPad. While this iPad may or may not be given the “3” designation, it will be a top competitor to tablets such as the Nook and Fire.

In addition to a smaller screen, a mini iPad 3 would also come with a much lower price tag. Since most people shop according to price, Apple would be wise to create a smaller tablet that contains all of those essential Apple parts, but doesn’t contain a large price tag. Is a mini iPad on the horizon? This is something that you’ll have to wait for, but it does make a good deal of sense.

A Siri Inclusion

Last but not least, some speculate that the new iPad will included the popular Siri program. Siri exploded when it first came out, and iPhone 4S users are getting the hang of this innovative iPhone addition. Rumors that Apple will create a new television that’s controlled entirely by artificial intelligence have also been circulating, so adding Siri to a new iPad tends to make excellent sense. If you have an iPhone 4S (and love what Siri brings to the table), you might want to hold off on that iPad 2 purchase until the 3 rears its head. Then again, this could be many months from now.

Availability

When will the iPad 3 be available? Nobody really knows the answer to this question right now. What can be said is that the iPad 3 will probably arrive sometime in 2012. What can be said with even more certainty is that the iPad 3 will not arrive before you do your holiday shopping.