Enhanced Smart Cover with Rear Protection for iPad 3? Glass-Backed iPhone 5 in the Works?
iLounge shares a few items of interest from a "repeatedly reliable source" addressing the possibility of a new Smart Cover-inspired case for the iPad 3 and Apple's work on a new glass-backed design for the iPhone 5 due later this year.
The first claim addresses Apple's plans for protection of the iPad 3. While the current Smart Cover for the iPad 2 is said to still work with the iPad 3, Apple is said to be working on a case that incorporates a Smart Cover-like front panel with a rear shell providing protection for the entirety of the device.
Said to be similar to Incase’s Magazine Jacket (and a host of subsequent alternatives that have appeared for the iPad 2), this new case has a folding magnetized Smart Cover on the front, and a rear shell made from fiberglass covered with PU/bicast leather.
The report notes that it is unclear whether the new case will be for only the iPad 3 or if it will also be compatible with the iPad 2.
The source's second claim relates to the iPhone 5, which is rumored for release later this year. According to the report, Apple is planning to once again use a glass or ceramic material for the rear of the device, countering rumors of a switch back to a metal rear casing. By incorporating thinner Gorilla Glass from Corning, Apple will reportedly be able to make the iPhone even thinner.
Despite the well-established “aluminum-backed iPhone 5” rumors that have continued to circulate since the iPhone 4 was released, Apple is nonetheless continuing to experiment with glass and ceramic rear shells for a future iPhone model. The upshot is that the new design would be like the iPhone 4, but thinner, thanks to Corning’s stronger Gorilla Glass 2 and the further reduction of internal components.
The source also indicates that a larger display remains a possibility, while the company is indeed also looking to replace its 30-pin dock connector with a smaller connector.
iLounge has on occasion offered accurate information, and in particular the site's claims for the iPad 3 do appear to be bearing out as parts continue to surface ahead of the official unveiling.
Popular Stories
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories, according to the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami." In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kosutami explained that Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories due to its poor durability. The company may move to another non-leather material for its premium accessories in the future. Kosutami has revealed...
Apple has dropped the number of Vision Pro units that it plans to ship in 2024, going from an expected 700 to 800k units to just 400k to 450k units, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Orders have been scaled back before the Vision Pro has launched in markets outside of the United States, which Kuo says is a sign that demand in the U.S. has "fallen sharply beyond expectations." As a...
The upcoming iOS 17.5 update for the iPhone includes only a few new user-facing features, but hidden code changes reveal some additional possibilities. Below, we have recapped everything new in the iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 beta so far. Web Distribution Starting with the second beta of iOS 17.5, eligible developers are able to distribute their iOS apps to iPhone users located in the EU...
Apple is finally planning a Calculator app for the iPad, over 14 years after launching the device, according to a source familiar with the matter. iPadOS 18 will include a built-in Calculator app for all iPad models that are compatible with the software update, which is expected to be unveiled during the opening keynote of Apple's annual developers conference WWDC on June 10. AppleInsider...
The lead developer of the multi-emulator app Provenance has told iMore that his team is working towards releasing the app on the App Store, but he did not provide a timeframe. Provenance is a frontend for many existing emulators, and it would allow iPhone and Apple TV users to emulate games released for a wide variety of classic game consoles, including the original PlayStation, SEGA Genesis,...
Top Rated Comments
Then what do you envision them announcing on Wednesday?
Wednesday 3 hours after the keynote.
A possibility? Oh dear. :(
Think we're all pretty confident they'll be refreshing the iPad on Wednesday, as to what it's going to be called, that's not important right now.
It is a rumor site though! :D