No new iPads at MacWorld in January?

I always find the battle between the vague sources that are cited in reports around the web about Apple gear that is coming and other tech products rather funny. At any given time you can find sources claiming that a new product is coming and sources claiming that the product isn't coming, which is why all rumors need a healthy dose of sodium with them. Take the rumor yesterday that two new versions of the iPad would be coming in January.

Sources cited by DigiTimes allegedly from the supply chain tipped the mid-range and high-end iPads with the high-resolution screens and quad-core processors would be coming next month. Today we have a source cited by The Loop claiming that there will be no iPads in January at MacWorld. I don't have to check sources to agree with the MacWorld bit. Apple hasn't been to MacWorld in years now. I wouldn't put it past Apple to unveil new products during the same time frame that MacWorld was going on though.

Just because it isn't participating in a show doesn't mean it wouldn't roll out new products while that show is going just as a way to grab some attention and take that attention away from a trade show it isn't part of. Will we see the new iPads next month? We have no way to know until January has passed with or without a new iPad seen. Historically when the products are truly ready to launch we will start to see leaked cases and accessories as the accessory world ramps up. We haven't seen those new accessories yet, which could mean no new iPads or there are no physical changes. We had heard rumors in the past claiming the iPads with the higher resolution screens would be thicker thanks to the dual-LED light bar and if true new cases would be needed.

[via The Loop]