Apple.pro points [Google translation] to several images posted to Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo showing what is claimed to be the rear shell of the "iPad mini". We certainly can not speak definitively to the authenticity of the images, and anything posted randomly to a microblogging site is clearly suspect until additional supporting evidence is discovered, but we have elected to share these images on our blog page for interest and discussion.

ipad mini rear shell weibo 1
Click for larger

Notably, the rear shell does not contain a hole for a rear camera. Cases for the rumored device have been showing a rear camera, although those too must be taken with a grain of salt until additional parts evidence surfaces.

ipad mini rear shell weibo 2
Click for larger

The user who posted the images has no track record of previous posts on the service, and thus there is no history by which to judge the accuracy of the claimed photos, and they are presumed to be fakes. Consequently, we are simply presenting them for documentation and discussion.

Related Roundup: iPad mini
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Top Rated Comments

applesith Avatar
166 months ago
Do we really need a camera on the back?

Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Pechente Avatar
166 months ago
Why would buy an Ipad mini when the chances are you can get the Ipad 1second hand for less? More so if it does have no camera or retina? :eek:

Portability
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GoreVidal Avatar
166 months ago
They've gotta give buyers a reason to upgrade to the next iPad mini somehow...
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacReloaded Avatar
166 months ago
I have doubts. Apple carves out the logo on the back and uses that opening for the Wi-Fi radios.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gooberwilson Avatar
166 months ago
Why would buy an Ipad mini when the chances are you can get the Ipad 1second hand for less? More so if it does have no camera or retina? :eek:

Can't update to iOS 6...
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
UnSainted Avatar
166 months ago
camera

Do the other $299 range tablets ...Kindle etc.. have cameras? I can see them doing this to keep costs down but it sort of seems cheap-ish to not include a camera..
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...