1/15/2012 05:53:00 PM
dannzfay
A major accessory manufacturer allegedly working with real iPad 3 specifications to craft protective cases has told Cult of Mac that, contrary to recent industry chatter, the next Apple tablet will actually be thinner than the current one.
Recent iPad 3 rumors said Apple was planning to enhance the backlighting for the tablet’s Retina display. Because of the extra light-emitting hardware, the tablet would emerge thicker than the current generation iPad, the rumors said.
However, that will not be the case, according to the aforementioned accessory manufacturer, who told the Cult that “the upcoming device is measurably more svelte than the iPad 2.”
The source did not provide an explanation as to what exactly allows Apple to achieve such a thin profile with its third-generation iPad. Also noteworthy is that the iPad 2 is currently the thinnest iOS device in Apple’s portfolio.
One piece of hardware that would allow Apple to make the iPad 3 at least as thin as the current one is the display. An IGZO display uses technologies that allow the panel to take up very little space in terms of depth.
The benefits of using IGZO panels also include lower cost of manufacturing, increased aperture ratio for improved light transmittance, and higher resolution, to name only a few.
But there’s a problem. The only company making these killer displays for Apple was Sharp, and the manufacturer has been reportedly kicked out of the iPad 3 supply chain for failing to meet Apple’s demands for mass production.
Of course, none of this is confirmed, and the rumors will keep on contradicting each other until the Cupertino, California giant finally unveils the thing (and people like iFixit perform a comprehensive teardown to see where every part comes from).
And there’s always the matter of practicality. After all, how thin can the iPad get before it gets too fragile to manipulate? How about adding new features instead of reducing the size of the device? What do you guys think?
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