Last-minute iPad 2 mockup surfaces in China with flat back, larger speaker

The high-quality mockup from DGtle.com could offer users an idea of what the new iPad will look like only hours before the official unveiling at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, Calif. The device, also listed on eBay as a "dummy," is shown with a new thinner design, as well as an anticipated larger speaker on the second-generation device.

The mockup also includes the anticipated addition of two cameras to the iPad for FaceTime video chat and augmented reality applications. And the new iPad is also shown with a flatter back, allowing the device to sit flat on a table, unlike with the slightly curved design of the first-generation device.

Though the mockup uses a white space for the integrated 3G antenna, the report notes that, like with the current iPad, the strip along the top will be black for the final shipping product. The headphone jack and power button are also shown as part of an "inclined plane" across the top of the device.

On the left side of the device when facing forward is a SIM card slot. AppleInsider first reported in January that the space on the new iPad design would be used for a SIM card on the left side.

Interestingly, the mockup does not include a space on top for a Mini DisplayPort-size connector. Some third-party cases suggested that another port could be added to the top of the new iPad, and last week's release of new MacBook Pros with a high-speed Thunderbolt port in the shape of Mini DisplayPort fueled rumors that the new iPad will feature support for the new connector.

From the front, both the first-generation iPad and the mockup of the anticipated model show the same screen size and look largely the same, with the exception of a new FaceTime camera located above the 9.7-inch display. Apple is set to officially unveil the real iPad 2 at 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern, and AppleInsider will have full live coverage.