Report: Apple Event Next Week Will Reveal iPad 2

Apple will reveal the next iteration of its game-friendly iPad mobile tablet next week, as competition from Android-based tablets heats up, according to new media reports. The Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital blog cited "several" anonymous sources who confirmed an Apple event for Wednesday March 2 in San Francisco. The blog also cites analysts who expect the new hardware to be thinner than the original iPad (pictured), and have an improved display with a front-facing camera that supports Facetime video chat. The iPad sold nearly 15 million units in 2010 after launching in April last year. The tablet quickly became a popular platform for games, with releases including Angry Birds HD, Cut the Rope HD, Dead Space and Plants vs. Zombies HD topping recent sales charts. In January, Apple said that across all of its iOS devices, including iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, users downloaded 10 billion apps from the App Store, with games as a leading category. The App Store launched in July 2008. The current iPad boasts a multi-touch screen, accelerometers, a 9.7-inch IPS display, wi-fi, optional 3G, and up to 64GB of storage space, making it ideal for intuitive games and apps. Up in the air is whether Steve Jobs, CEO of Cupertino, CA-based Apple, will be at the reported event next week. In January this year, he told employees that he is taking a "medical leave of absence so I can focus on my health." Apple's top executive has had a number of health problems in recent years, culminating in a liver transplant in April 2009. UPDATE: Today, tech sites including Engadget and Gamasutra received invites from Apple for the reported event that show what appears to be the corner of an iPad: