Taiwanese Apple site Apple.pro (Google Translation) published the photos on Thursday, also noting the apparent leak that occurred on Thursday. Report author Anthony Tsai said the images had been passed on to him by a foreigner.
Tsai noted that those hoping for a redesigned iPad will likely be disappointed, as the back panel appears to be nearly identical to that of the iPad 2. Interestingly enough, the photo of the alleged back panel contains no markings other than the Apple logo, possibly suggesting that it is from a test production batch.
The next iPad is widely expected to arrive in March and include a double-resolution display. There is, however, some disagreement on whether the device will include a quad-core or a dual-core A6 processor. Scattered reports have also claimed Apple will add 4G LTE compatibility to the tablet.
Thursday's report also claimed to include a photo of the magnets that will be implemented for a Smart Cover for the third-generation iPad. According to Tsai, the photo doesn't show a change in the "general appearance" of the cover's design.
Apple released the Smart Cover alongside the iPad 2 last March. A teardown of the accessory showed that Apple employed 21 magnets in it to get it to align properly, as well as 10 magnet in the iPad 2 itself. The company updated the product last October to tweak the colors and have the interior lining match the outside cover.
Earlier reports have suggested that the third-generation iPad will maintain a close enough form factor to its predecessor so as to be compatible with the Smart Cover.
17 Comments
Sounds about right. Under Steve he might have pushed for a refined (or shall we say, new,) form factor, but this kinda aligns with Apple's version of the "tick-tock" strategy.
Forget the back... it's what's INSIDE that counts...
Anyone leak a 2048x1536 screen yet?
Apple's design is very minimalistic, therefore case leaks don't tell you much. Give me a Retina screen and a Thunderbolt interface behind the iPad connector and I'll be happy (of course, being Thunderbolt, it can emulate USB if plugged in to something old).
The lack of an "iPad" inscription may indicate that Apple is allowing for the use of different brand names in various countries, where the name "iPad" proper would present a stumbling block.
After all, an inscription may not be too costly to make, considering that they offer one for free on iPhones purchased as a gift on the Apple Store.
The lack of an "iPad" inscription may indicate that Apple is allowing for the use of different brand names in various countries, where the name "iPad" proper would present a stumbling block.
I think that part is different in different countries already, due to it including logos of approval from the various standards bodies for that jurisdiction.