New iPad 3 Casing Shows Thicker Device, Larger Camera Hole

More information about the Apple’s third-generation iOS tablet is leaking out ahead of the iPad 3’s speculated early March announcement. Blog MIC Gadget is now showing comparison shots of what appears to be the iPad 3 next to the iPad 2, and there are some slight differences in between the two generations.

The iPad 2 appears to be thinner than the iPad 3. The difference in thickness between the two devices is said to be between 1 to 1.5 mm, perhaps to accommodate either a larger battery to mitigate more power-hungry features like a high resolution Retina Display or a zippier 4G LTE model support. The stacked and staggered photo of the two tablets, reposted below, exaggerates the dimensions of the iPad 3’s thickness, however, so don’t let that fool you.

Additionally, the edge of the iPad 3, on the rear side, is tapered and curved. The design decision to curve the edges more will help make the device appear slimmer than it actually is when held in the hands.

It also looks like the top glass panel may appear to be thinner, as shown in the photo above, and 9to5Mac reports that the iPad 3 will also have a more narrow bezel compared to the iPad 2. It’s unclear how much more narrow the bezel will be, and if that may hinder the user experience as there’s less surface area on the top of the display surrounding the screen for users to hold or grip the slate when using the iPad.

What’s noticeable is a larger camera hole on the third-generation tablet when compared to the iPad 2, which may suggest that Apple is working to improve the camera system on the tablet. Though cameras on a large 10-inch slate may not be a priority for consumers, who may use the camera on an iPad casually, it may be a priority for Apple as the company is targeting enterprise customers. Industries such as the insurance or medical industry may require a more equipped camera when using the iPad as a means of digital documentation, and such a move would help Apple stay competitive against Android slates, like the Asus Transformer Prime, which has a heavy emphasis on picture-taking. Apple, no stranger to excellent mobile digital photography thanks to strides in the iPhone’s camera system, could potentially port the 8-megapixel experience on the iPhone 4S to the iPad 3.

Additionally, it appears that Apple’s moving to either chrome or brushed aluminum volume keys as well as the rocker switch (for mute or screen rotation lock), rather than the black plastic parts on the iPad 2.

Recent leaks also suggest that Apple may go with an ‘A5X’ processor, and not an A6; it is yet to be determined if the iPad 3 will go with quad-core processing power.

According to MIC Gadget, the iPad 3 will maintain 16, 32, and 64 GB capacities.