According to DigiTimes, "sources in the supply chain" are saying that Apple will likely release the 7.85 inch iPad in the fourth quarter of 2012, with production for its panels to start at the end of the second quarter.
Before that, in the first quarter of the year, the Cupertino company should introduce the successor to the iPad 2, most probably called iPad 3 (reportedly, this will have a 10 inch display with a resolution increased to 2048 x 1536 pixels).