14 DAY TRIAL // An Asian web site purporting to have iPad 2 cases in its possession has made a “case check” video forcing a first-generation iPad to try out the shells to see how they fit.
Going by the footage (embedded below), Apple’s next-generation iPad will be a tad slimmer than the current model.
The design particularities of the cases appear to corroborate rumors that Apple’s new tablet will have at least one rear facing camera, and an opening of some kind at the bottom of its back shell.
The opening is believed to house either a speaker, or a pop-out port tray similar to the one found on Apple’s original MacBook Air.
A Russian blogger revealed last month that people close to Apple had learned of the company’s plans to implement USB support in the upcoming iteration rumored to launch no later than Q1 2011.
“Talked with a colleague while working with some ODM vendors connected with Apple,” Eldar Murtazin, editor-in-chief of the Mobile Review blog, wrote in a Dec. 28 tweet. “He is research guy. According to his sources iPad2 will have usb port,” Murtazin said.
Additionally, word on the street is that Apple will adopt a design akin to that of its third-generation iPod touch.
As indicated by TUAW, Apple iDevice case leaks have historically been indicative of the company’s plans with unreleased hardware, but some purported leaks never materialized.
Although many are inclined to believe that Apple’s iPad 2 will, indeed, boast all the features predicted by case manufacturers, these reports are still to be taken with a bit of skepticism.
That said, another source leaking alleged iPad 2 cases has been reportedly asked to take down all imagery of cases purported to be for Apple's next-generation iPad.
Chinese trade site Alibaba.com, which has been responsible for such leaks in the past, has reportedly received a "legitimate takedown request," fueling beliefs that said accessories were authentic.
The cases were almost identical to the ones shown in the video below.
