Photo of supposed 'iPad Pro' mold prompts questionable speculation, lacks answers

An image circling the Web on Thursday purports to show a piece of production tooling for Apple's rumored "iPad Pro," though there is scant evidence to back up the assertions. In fact, the part depicted appears more likely to be designed for Apple's Smart Cover than a forthcoming iPad.

The shot depicts a machined slab of metal, featuring a large recessed area in the middle along with protruding bits on each corner and various holes on the top and sides. It was initially shared to Chinese microblogging site Weibo and first noticed by Czech Apple blog Letem svetem Applem.

Aside from being rectangular and sporting rounded corners, the mold does not bear any hallmarks of an iPad. Commenters on Weibo are split on what its purpose could be, with some claiming that it looks like a standard plastic injection mold, and others suggesting that it could be a fixture used to hold pieces for assembly or finishing.

If the mold is a mold and does belong to Apple, it could be used for pressing together the two sides of the company's Smart Covers, given the shape of the area on the mold's left edge. The chassis of a MacBook also bears a similar shape, with an area cut out to accept the display hinge.

Alternatively, it could simply be a mold for a lunch tray, given the fact that the account which posted the photo boasts only 21,000 fans —  Weibo has more than 75 million active users each day —  and has no record of leaking such information in the past.