Mobile advertising agency, InMobi says that nearly a third of respondents to a survey expressed an interest in buying Apple's iPad 3 if/when it is released.

Commenting on the study, Anne Frisbie, Vice President and Managing Director, North America, InMobi, says: "Nearly one-third of respondents are planning to buy the iPad 3, and 44% would only consider the iPad if purchasing a tablet.  Interestingly, 65% of those who intend to buy an iPad 3 would consider buying an iPad or iPad 2 at a reduced price instead, indicating that whether or not consumers purchase an iPad 3 versus an older model, the excitement around the iPad 3 release will likely increase iPad penetration in the tablet market."

Key highlights from the study include:

• 29% of respondents are planning to buy the iPad 3.  54% of those who are planning to buy the iPad 3 do not already own a tablet.
• 65% of those who intend to buy an iPad 3 would also consider buying an iPad or iPad 2 at a reduced price instead.
• 50% of those surveyed who intend to buy the iPad3 are willing to pay over $500.  If the iPad 3 is over $599, however, 57% of those surveyed would opt for an older model instead.
• 44% of respondents would not consider another tablet brand instead of the iPad. Amongst those who would consider other brands, however, the Samsung Galaxy took second place, with 27% of respondents saying they would consider buying it.  14% said they would consider a Kindle.
• The features respondents are most looking forward to are faster processor speed (57%), followed by better battery life (47%), a higher-quality screen (46%), and 4G connectivity (43%).
• 51%of respondents would purchase the iPad 3 for entertainment over business or education.

Most Anticipated Features Among Users Intending to Purchase iPad 3

Anne Frisbie continues, "In terms of the impact of the iPad 3 on the mobile industry as a whole, we definitely see consumer adoption of tablets contributing to increased mobile media consumption, as our recent Mobile Media Consumption Study shows that North American mobile consumers are already spending more time on mobile devices versus TVs or PCs."