Alleged iPad 3 Back Casing Compared Alongside iPad 2

MICgadget has posted pictures of what they believe to be final versions of the iPad 3 back casing. As production ramps up in preparation for launch, parts will inevitably leak. That said, the back casing itself is rather intriguing. It shows that Apple has bucked their usual habit of continually slimming down their hardware with each new generation as the iPad 3 casing above is noticeably, albeit slightly thicker. The added thickness will only measure in at an extra 1-2mm (read: nothing at all) but is again a rare occurrence for a company so hell bent on producing the best looking and thinnest gadgets.

Quite honestly, we can’t fault Apple for going this route, and in fact we’re pleased. The only two reasons the iPad 3 has been made thicker is either to (1) pack in a larger battery to power the faster A5X processor, (likely) included LTE radios, and the newer high resolution “Retina” display or (2) simple because all of the hardware wouldn’t fit in a casing as thin as the iPad 2s. If we had to wager a guess we’d side with the former — Apple would be much more likely to keep the iPad’s battery life in tact since that’s one of it’s biggest selling points. Simply “not fitting” would mean Apple would likely wait another model year to include the offending, oversized hardware.

Keep checking back as the iPad 3 news is only going to increase as we creep closer to the rumored March 7th announcement date.