Leak of next-generation Apple iPad rear casing again shows design cues from the Apple iPad mini

Last week, we showed you some pictures allegedly of cases, molds and the rear casing for the next iteration of the Apple iPad. On Monday, another picture of the rear casing has been displayed and once again shows off design cues from the Apple iPad mini. The next Apple iPad will apparently have a thinner bezel, continue to sport a 9.7 inch screen, and could be powered by an Apple A7x processor. The tablet will have a curved casing similar to the "mini," as well as stereo speakers on the bottom of the device. The current fourth-generation iPad has a single speaker at the rear of the slab.

Apple is expected to use a thinner LED backlight for a lighter design. There is some speculation that the slate will feature an Indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) display made by Sharp, which has twicethe resolution of the LCD displays while offering power savings of 90%. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo,who has a network of sources, said last week that the 5th generation iPad will be 25% lighter and 15% thinner than the previous model. Early indications months ago were that the next full-size tablet from Cupertino would have a thinner footprint and weigh less.

With lighter batteries expected on board that are possible due to improvements in the power management of the display, the next full-sized Apple iPad is expected to weigh 500 grams, down from the 650 grams on the current model. The device will be just 7.2mm thick compared to the 9.4mm thickness of the fourth-generation iPad. An 8MP camera will be on back and the tablet is rumored to be offered in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB variants.

source: Tactus via AppleInsider