We’ve seen a number of supposed iPad 3 parts recently, and this latest one shows the front glass and digitizer assembly with the layout remaining largely the same as that of the iPad 2, with no changes to the Home button, front-facing camera position or ambient light sensor arrangement. If the pictures, which come by way of Sina Weibo, are accurate, the only recognizable change is the ribbon cable on the side of the glass, which extends roughly half-way up the device as opposed to the iPad 2 which has a shorter cable with a sideways orientation.
A separate post from the same person claims the rumored A5X SoC includes a dual-core processor instead of quad-core, in addition to the iPad 3 coming with full support for Siri, which has so far remained exclusive to the iPhone 4S.
Other recent component leaks indicate a thicker, more tapered back, a logic board with possible A5X chipset and the supposed Retina display put under a microscope.
Additional notes indicate Apple plans to release iOS 5.1 alongside the iPad 3, which is expected to be announced on March 7th with a Retina display and possible 4G LTE. BGR previously heard rumors of iOS 5.1 hitting on March 9th, which could be when Apple plans to deliver devices to consumers, but we’ll have to wait for the official announcement next month.
[Imore]
