Next Wednesday, the Game Developers Conference will be in full swing, with a keynote address by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata kicking off the event's biggest day. However, not far away, Apple will be convening the technology press for what will likely be the unveiling of a new iPad.

　　What could Apple be unveiling on March 2? Image credit: Engadget.

　　The less-than-subtle invite, obtained by tech blog Engadget, shows a large number "2" underneath a small "March" being peeled away from what appears to be an iPad. At the bottom, a line reads "Come see what 2011 will be the year of." The date appears to confirm earlier reports on the Wall Street Journal's All Things D blog, which predicted a March 2 unveiling of the device.

　　No details are yet known about the new iPad. However, the Journal cited analysts who expect that the tablet will be thinner than the original iPad, with a front-facing camera and Facetime video chat support. The financial daily also said it will have an improved display that's powered by a Qualcomm chip that allows it to run on both GSM and CDMA networks. Other than the display, no details about possible gaming improvements were mentioned.

　　To date, Apple has sold nearly 15 million iPads worldwide, moving 7.33 million in the October-December quarter alone. The company's App Store, which sells programs--including many games--for the iPad and iPhones, marked its 10 billionth download last month.