Updated: Apple iPad 2 officially launches with front and rear-facing cameras, a dual core processor, and a slim new design. Read all about it here

With rumours running rife around when Apple will launch the iPhone 5 and iPad 2, new reports out of Taiwan have suggested the Cupertino-based company will make the two products available on the same day.

 Whilst we must stress that these rumours should be taken with a hefty pinch of salt, it would suggest the second-generation Apple tablet would not touch down until June or July, the expected arrival of the iPhone 5 despite recent rumours suggesting the mooted handset has been delayed until September.

Whilst Apple is renowned for rigidly sticking to its annual product cycles, the unverified reports claim the two devices will launch alongside each other in a bumper summer offering from the tech giant. Whilst we can’t see this happening with Apple wanting to fully capitalise on two high-end release periods, with the now overdue second-gen yet to been given a confirmed arrival time it cannot be ruled out.

Previously the launch of the Apple iPad 2 has been reported to coincide with that of its RIM produced rival the BlackBerry PlayBook.

Reported in China’s Economic Daily News, sources close to the company claimed that anticipated arrivals of the iPad 2 and BlackBerry PlayBook will be within days of each other in April or May this year, setting up a head to head contest.

The seemingly reputable sources who correctly predicted features of the original iPad prior to launch have also suggested that the iPad 2 will land with front and rear facing cameras to bring it inline with Apple’s cross-product FaceTime capabilities.

What features would you most like to see added to the Apple iPad 2? Let us know via the T3 Twitter and Facebook feeds and stay tuned to T3.com for all the latest on the iPad updates. Eager to get your hands on BlackBerry's PlayBook tablet? Check out our hands-on video below for a sneak peak.

BlackBerry PlayBook hands-on video teaser
Via: BlackBerry PlayBook Video | Source: T3 Tech Video