According to a new report from The New York Times, Apple is set to unveil the iPad 3 during the first week of March.

The next-generation tablet is noted to feature an upgraded processor and “truly amazing” screen, with an external appearance unchanged from the iPad 2.

An Apple employee said that the version of the new iPad that is being tested inside the company is “essentially the same size and shape as the iPad 2,” with an improved and “truly amazing” screen. The tablet will include a faster processor, said the employee, who did not want to be identified because Apple is not fond of leaks.

It has been long-rumored that the iPad 3 would feature an improved screen with pixel density approaching or matching that seen on the iPhone 4 and 4S “retina” displays. In line with today’s report, recent rumors have also pointed towards a quad-core processor and improved GPU.

The iPad 2 was launched in early March 2011 and expectations are that the iPad 3 will follow suit with Apple generally following a 12-month product refresh cycle.