Second generation iPad to launch next week

Apple is returning to its favourite venue for product launches on March 2, hosting an event at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts where it is expected to unveil the iPad 2, according to people familiar with the plans.

The company has reserved the main stage at the multifunction venue for next Wednesday, marking a return to the site where it last year launched the original iPad and the iPhone 4.

The new iPad is expected to be thinner and lighter than the current version, and include a higher resolution display as well as cameras for taking photos and video chatting.

Apple has sold more than 15m units of the original iPad, creating a new category for tablet computing that has upended the personal computer market.