iPad 3 Rumors: Leaked Parts Appear to be Made by Sharp

By Vincent Funaro, Christian Post Reporter Monday, February 13, 2012

Parts for the upcoming iPad 3 have been leaking quite frequently during the past few weeks including a high resolution panel that appeared on Japanese tech site Macotakara.

This panel was obtained by parts reseller Eye Lab Factory who attempted to match it up to other components made by electronics company Sharp in order to confirm that it was the manufacturer.

During Eye Lab Factory's attempts it found that this high resolution panel matched up perfectly with a purported iPad 3 dock connector, back plate and LCD panel made by Sharp.

According to tech site 9to5Mac, this back panel hints at a slightly thicker design for the iPad 3 that will have it gain 1mm in profile. This could be due to the fact that the tablet is expected to house some new components including a bigger battery and dual-LED backlit system. However, the height and width of this back panel do not differ from the iPad 2's.

Screw holes also appear in all the right places on this back panel in order to match up to the normal areas where screws are normally put, according the post.

9to5Mac commented on the original post made by the reseller regarding the screw holes and size matching up to Sharp's other parts.

"The fact led the author to conclude with a high degree of certainty that Sharp's Retina Display LCD panel is in fact designed for the leaked iPad 3 chassis," wrote the site. "Additionally, the way the LCD panel's cable folds and connects to the base reinforces the thesis."

The iPad 3 is expected to launch sometime next month according to various publications. A media event confirming its release is also expected to be held by Apple in the coming weeks.