Leaked iPad 3 Casing Has More Room for Battery, New Screen?
The latest beat on the Apple rumor street is that the iPad 3 may look almost identical to the iPad 2. That is, save for the gorgeous retina screen and upgraded internals. Pictures of an iPad 3 shell have been leaked, suggesting a few moves by Apple that could be more interesting than an upgraded CPU. Here are the details …
A tip of the hat goes to MacRumors for aggregating the data. It turns out repair site RepairLabs apparently received a photo of an alleged iPad 3 rear-case aluminum shell. At first glance, it’s identical to an iPad 2 shell, but a closer look shows rerouted mount points for internal circuitry. RepairLabs suggested a smaller motherboard is likely, which means the iPad 3 will have more room for batteries. New mounting hole locations also suggest a different-style screen will adorn the front of the iPad 3, nicely coordinating with all the buzz about a retina display.
I’m inclined to believe the iPad 3 will not be thicker, larger or heavier, but will be identical to the iPad 2 from the outside, much like the iPhone 4S is aesthetically the same as the iPhone 4. Only after turning it over could someone tell it’s an iPad 3. Keeping the iPad 2 form factor means users can take advantage of the huge amount of accessories and peripherals that have been designed for the smaller iPad 2. It also means Apple and OEMs alike don’t have to build anything new or special to capitalize on the iPad 3 accessory scene.
Apple also may be making design changes on the iPad similar to the lifecycle redesign of the iPhone. The original iPhone was a radical new design, which was quickly redesigned (3G) and recycled (3GS) for a second season, until the iPhone 4. We currently have the iPad original, followed by the iPad 2, and the 3 likely will be identical. The iPad 4, it stands to reason, will be potentially a complete redesign. If this rear aluminum shell is real, the iPad 3 announcement should be coming shortly, maybe even in the next 30 days.
