A series of component leaks have already offered a look at alleged design changes for Apple's next iPads. But a new leak, courtesy of prolific Apple parts detective Sonny Dickson, has given us the best look so far at what the new iPad and iPad mini might look like when the pieces are put together.
The assembled iPad shell, pictured above and below, looks identical to earlier leaks, including a video from last week which shows off alleged 5th-generation iPad parts. If the parts are real, the new iPad will be narrower by two-thirds of an inch than previous models, and will have slim side bezels like the iPad mini. Like previously leaked photos, Dickson's assembled shell lacks the plastic insert for radio antennas that were spotted on alleged parts from earlier this year.
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Apple’s iPad 5 and iPad mini 2 (generational markers, likely not official names by the way) will probably arrive later this year, as has been reported previously, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Generally, analyst-sourced reports seem to be pretty hit-or-miss, but Kuo has a solid track record, including what appear to be accurate predictions around Apple’s forthcoming low-cost iPhone 5C and its color options.
Kuo says in an investor note today (via 9to5Mac) that the iPad 5 and iPad mini 2 are entering initial production this month, with plans to ramp up to full-scale mass production in the fourth quarter of this year. This counters some reports that suggested we’d see next-generation tablets from Apple revealed at its September 10 event, which is taking place on the Apple Campus in Cupertino and is generally expected to cover new iPhone announcements.