Foxconn Electronics factories have recently been notified that they will ship Apple’s next generation iPad within the next 100 days with initial shipments to reach 400,000-600,000 units.

The sources pointed out that the iPad 2 will ship as soon as the end of February in 2011. Apple originally planned to start mass production in January, but because the device’s firmware is currently still in testing, Apple has been postponing the schedule. Since Foxconn’s new plants in Chengdu are still in pilot production, iPad 2 will be mainly supplied by its Shenzhen plants, while the company’s upstream component partners have all been notified of the shipments schedule.

A February launch would be consistent with rumours pegging the iPad revision in the first part of 2011. Other rumoured features include a FaceTime camera, gyroscope, faster processor, thinner form factor, retina display and a USB connector – possibly thinner.