Neil Hughes
The photos claiming to show an iPad 3 part come from Apple.pro, a site that has been a source of accurate hardware leaks in the past. Thursday's latest leak shows a component with a code number of "821."
The component also has different part numbers: "1180" for the iPad 2, increased to "1259" on the new component. That led the author to speculate (via an online translation) that the so-called "iPad 3" is a different model with a "brand-new design."
He specifically called out recent rumors that Apple plans to release a new touchscreen tablet this fall that will be a minor update to the iPad 2, dubbed an "iPad 2 Plus." Those reports suggested the new device would offer some enhancements over the current model, like a higher-resolution screen, and serve to expand the product line rather than replace the iPad 2.
The new component includes an outward-facing plug, which is colored white, leading the author to state that the new model will also be offered in black and white colors, like the iPad 2.
He also revealed that Apple has launched an internal investigation into hardware leaks made to sites like Apple.pro, making it difficult for his "Deep Throat" insider in California to leak more information.
Last year, the same site leaked photos of a 3cm-by-3cm touchscreen that were later confirmed to be of the multi-touch display for the unreleased sixth-generation iPod nano. Also in 2010, the site obtained pre-release photos of white and black front panels for the iPhone 4.
However, the site has also posted a handful of MacBook related rumors which did not pan out, such as a report that Apple was working on a 15-inch MacBook Air and an photos of an alleged 13-inch MacBook casing.
The site also posted an alleged seventh-generation iPod nano photo in April, suggesting the small touchscreen device could receive a rear-facing camera. But in that report the author cautioned he was unable to verify the authenticity of the image.
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19 Comments
Maybe they're just adding a seond dock connector for landscape usage?
Maybe they're just adding a seond dock connector for landscape usage?
Doesn't make much sense cluttering up the design when the aspect ratio is 4:3 anyway - that would be more necessary for 16:10 android tablets.
Maybe it's the only difference, and you can buy an iPad with the (one) dock connector in the location of your choosing. I don't really expect this either, but it's all I can come up with. It wouldn't make sense even from an inventory point of view. But then, maybe one iteration is worth it to see which is more popular... as if Apple goes by popular demand...
Maybe they're just adding a seond dock connector for landscape usage?
Are we even sure it's the dock connector?
It *looks* like the dock connector, but unfortunately neither AppleInsider nor the original site thought to actually name the part or even hint at what it could be.
I suppose we are all supposed to be so geeky that we just recognise the internals of our devices when they are shown on a web site?
Are we even sure it's the dock connector?
It *looks* like the dock connector, but unfortunately neither AppleInsider nor the original site thought to actually name the part or even hint at what it could be.
I was thinking the same thing. What the heck is it supposed to be. If this site is so in the know then they should be saying what the part is. The plug looks like it could maybe be a dock connector but it also looks like it could be an internal connector of some kind. and that white dot actually looks like a moisture sensor.