( Mashable ) -- Apple 's production partners are already hard at work on the new model of iPad , according to a report in the Wall Street Journal . The fact that Apple is working on an iPad 2 , of course , is common knowledge . The famously tight-lipped company rarely talks about upcoming product launches , and is n't talking now . But Apple has never denied that it intends to follow up on one of its most successful products . Nearly $ 5 billion worth of iPads have been sold in the three quarters since its launch . And a quick glance at the history of the iPhone , which launches a new model every year , suggests that we should expect to see the iPad 2 right around the first anniversary of its predecessor 's launch : April 3 , 2011 . A prototype of the iPad 2 was apparently spotted by a Reuters reporter after the launch of News Corp 's iPad publication , the Daily , last week . And an unconfirmed report from DigiTimes in December said that Foxconn , the Chinese makers of the iPhone and iPad , had been ordered to manufacture the iPad 2 in market-ready quantities by the end of February . The Journal report , which carries three bylines and cites `` people familiar with the matter , '' offers a few more nuggets of detail . It confirms the widely-held belief that the iPad 2 will have a front-facing camera , enabling use of the Facetime videoconferencing app . It says that the 3G version will again be available on Verizon and AT & T , with Sprint and T-Mobile still shut out . But it contradicts earlier reports that Apple will endow the iPad 2 with a higher-resolution screen , much as the iPhone 4 had significantly higher resolution than the iPhone 3GS . Apple is likely still working on a higher quality iPad display -- it just wo n't be ready for the iPad 2 . So will a slightly improved Apple tablet with camera be enough to persuade millions of iPad users to upgrade ? Are there other bells and whistles we do n't know about yet ? We have previously reported on rumors that the new device will have an SD Card slot , and that it will feature rear-facing and front-facing cameras . ( Click here for our comprehensive roundup of iPad 2 rumors ) . We 'll know when Apple 's acting CEO Tim Cook takes the stage , if this product timeline is accurate , in a few months ' time . © 2010 MASHABLE.com . All rights reserved .
The iPad 2 might have a front - facing camera , enabling use of the Facetime app . There are rumors that the new device will have an SD Card slot . Nearly $ 1 billion worth of iPads have been sold in the three years since its launch .