Rumor: Photos show iPad, 'iPad mini' Lightning connectors
A pair of images published on Sunday claim to show two Lightning dock connectors, one for Apple's much-rumored iPad mini and another bound for the fourth-generation 9.7-inch iPad.
The pictures come from online community Apple.pro (via BGR), the same source that posted images of the supposed Lightning port-ready iPad back casing on Saturday. In that report, it was thought that the flex cable sitting atop the iPad's shell was the part meant to be used in the device, however today's images suggest the component was actually an iPad mini port.
Source: Apple.pro via BGR
Both the front and back of the 7.85-inch iPad's Lightning flex cable are shown in the first image, revealing that the component's connections lead toward the left of the device as seen by the socket connector. This could imply that the mini's logic board will be located on the left side of the unit, possibly to keep dispersed heat away from the fingers of users holding the tablet with their right hand. If legitimate, the layout is much like the third-generation iPad's, which also features a logic board situated to the left of the device's huge battery.
As for the purported full-sized iPad Lightning port, the publication suggests that the component is to be used in the fourth-generation "iPad 4," which is expected to be released in 2013, and not a tweaked version of the current tablet some speculated would be unveiled alongside the iPad mini this week.
The connector itself is much more compact than the current third-generation iPad's 30-pin flex cable, and appears to be using a modified ZIF connector, though the image's poor quality prohibits a detailed assessment. While the source of the photos claims the part won't be used in a rumored refreshed third-generation iPad, they failed to explain further.
Apple is widely expected to debut the iPad mini at a special event on Tuesday.
The pictures come from online community Apple.pro (via BGR), the same source that posted images of the supposed Lightning port-ready iPad back casing on Saturday. In that report, it was thought that the flex cable sitting atop the iPad's shell was the part meant to be used in the device, however today's images suggest the component was actually an iPad mini port.
Source: Apple.pro via BGR
Both the front and back of the 7.85-inch iPad's Lightning flex cable are shown in the first image, revealing that the component's connections lead toward the left of the device as seen by the socket connector. This could imply that the mini's logic board will be located on the left side of the unit, possibly to keep dispersed heat away from the fingers of users holding the tablet with their right hand. If legitimate, the layout is much like the third-generation iPad's, which also features a logic board situated to the left of the device's huge battery.
As for the purported full-sized iPad Lightning port, the publication suggests that the component is to be used in the fourth-generation "iPad 4," which is expected to be released in 2013, and not a tweaked version of the current tablet some speculated would be unveiled alongside the iPad mini this week.
The connector itself is much more compact than the current third-generation iPad's 30-pin flex cable, and appears to be using a modified ZIF connector, though the image's poor quality prohibits a detailed assessment. While the source of the photos claims the part won't be used in a rumored refreshed third-generation iPad, they failed to explain further.
Apple is widely expected to debut the iPad mini at a special event on Tuesday.
Comments
All these 'leaks' are at risk of becoming a parody of themselves.
What amazes me is that from this one component, analysts are able to extrapolate out the entire cost of the iPad, deduce the profit margin, project how insanely popular sales will be and then proclaim that Apple's stock will break $1000 a share.
1) I haven't seen a single leak come from Apple.
2) I haven't seen any more leaks from China about Apple products than we've seen in the past. This ribbons are nothing new.
I like the soft focus lower shot, sort of like a soft core pron shot
We need to differentiate actual rumours from rumours of rumours.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
2) I haven't seen any more leaks from China about Apple products than we've seen in the past. This ribbons are nothing new.
I'm not so sure if I agree with that.
I remember in the past, I'm talking about years ago, when Apple still live streamed a few of their events (if I recall correctly), people didn't really have a clue as to what would be announced.
Take today for example, we all pretty much know what's going to be announced on Tuesday. An iPad Mini, iMac refresh, maybe a 9.7" iPad refresh, Mac Mini, maybe some announcement about Mac Pros, maybe some Macbook Pro 13" Retina? There's really not much that is going to surprise anybody.
I didn't follow rumor sites years ago, but were there any leaks about the Power Mac G4 Cube for example? When I saw that keynote, I was like holy shit, because it was totally unexpected. Before the first iPhone was revealed, were there tons of pictures and mockups and parts on rumor sites? When the Macbook Air was revealed, was it first outed by the rumor sites? What about the Powerbook 17"? What about the Powerbook 12"?
Is there anything that's going to be announced on Tuesday that will take anybody by surprise? I know that Steve Jobs is gone, but I wouldn't mind seeing a "one more thing......." happening at an Apple event. I want to be taken by surprise.
You're not considering Apple's scale of pre-made products prior to the event or their mindshare that puts an excessive amount of attention on anything related to them. Even an issue in a Foxconn factory that has nothing to do with Apple will be referenced to Apple long before it's referenced to the vendor they are actually building for.
Think of the volume Apple does. They need millions of products on launch day. You don't build this overnight. You don't build this on your own. You need one leak to make it to the internet. Just one. And since there is a market for Apple leaks the demand is high.
Go back 15 years. How many sites were blogging about Apple's latest releases compared to today? How many products did they have that led their markets in profits and unit numbers for a given model? I don't think they had any. Today pretty much everything they do is the most successful single product on the market.
Yet despite all that we didn't know about ML until they told us. We don't know what the next iMac will look like. We don't even know if the ODD will be removed or not. All we have is a ribbon cable that shows a Lightning cable, a name we didn't even have until Apple told us during the even last month.
But even if you get rid of the weighing of increased popularity and scaling you still have plenty of leaks before Jobs died. Remember that 1" display leak that turned out to be the iPad Nano? Remember the rumors of the 326 PPI iPhone display that seems unfathomable at the time? Remember the same for the iPad? I've looked them up in the past and posted them. These ribbons are nothing new. We've seen them for years.
We really have no idea. We have a general idea based on what Apple has historically done but there will be plenty of surprises.
Quick there is a rumor of apple releasing a new product next year. It will have a glass display and it will even have a way connect audio devices that fit 3.5mm accessories.
Seriously these are what these leaks look like
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
You're not considering Apple's scale of pre-made products prior to the event or their mindshare that puts an excessive amount of attention on anything related to them. Even an issue in a Foxconn factory that has nothing to do with Apple will be referenced to Apple long before it's referenced to the vendor they are actually building for.
Think of the volume Apple does. They need millions of products on launch day. You don't build this overnight. You don't build this on your own. You need one leak to make it to the internet. Just one. And since there is a market for Apple leaks the demand is high.
Go back 15 years. How many sites were blogging about Apple's latest releases compared to today? How many products did they have that led their markets in profits and unit numbers for a given model? I don't think they had any. Today pretty much everything they do is the most successful single product on the market.
Yet despite all that we didn't know about ML until they told us. We don't know what the next iMac will look like. We don't even know if the ODD will be removed or not. All we have is a ribbon cable that shows a Lightning cable, a name we didn't even have until Apple told us during the even last month.
But even if you get rid of the weighing of increased popularity and scaling you still have plenty of leaks before Jobs died. Remember that 1" display leak that turned out to be the iPad Nano? Remember the rumors of the 326 PPI iPhone display that seems unfathomable at the time? Remember the same for the iPad? I've looked them up in the past and posted them. These ribbons are nothing new. We've seen them for years.
I agree with you that the production scale is much, much larger today, and I suppose that it's obviously much more difficult to keep a lid on things. Yes, you are correct that there were a few leaks in the past, but I don't think that the amount can compare to the number of leaks that have been happening these past few years.
I think we have to face up to the reality that Apple is now a multi billion dollar corporation that has successfully changed the way the world interacts with portable music/video/phone devices. It's just too big to keep anything genuinely amazing from the public long enough to spring a real surprise.
Maybe we will miss Steve after all. It would have been amazing to see what wacky new device he could come up with knowing he had 100 billion in cash to back himself up. I just don't see the current corporation doing anything seriously exciting.
Mind you maybe something will catch everyone by surprise regarding next year's mac pro.
There were always rumours but they were less. Again, you need to consider how the environment has changed. Also, Mac rumours are still less than iDevice rumours. Take this ribbon leak. You can put that in your pocket or conceal it elsewhere so you can sneak it out of a factory or assembly plant. You can't do that with a Bondi Blue iMac casing.
Even today Mac leaks are much, much lower in comparison to iDevice leaks and yet even recently we've seen new Macs hit the stores without any rumours about them at all making the news. They don't have the volume or the focus, even within a company that has so many eyeballs watching their every move, so it's much easier to keep things under wraps.
So add the lower production rates in general to the lower production rates of Macs over iDevices and longer delay between announcemant and release and you'll get a problem that Apple can't ever solve as it grows. They can spend more money trying but that doesn't mean they'll be able to do better than they have in the past.
Then there are the pictures. Think about what has changed since Apple was selling PPC Macs and today. Think about how cameras are incredibly small and in the very pervasive cell-phone. Outside of factories going New Jack City and making their workers assemble products in the nude it's much easier to conceal a camera on you.
OK, if you insist.:p
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
Outside of factories going New Jack City and making their workers assemble products in the nude it's much easier to conceal a camera on you.
I actually did mention that suggestion in the past, though I was only half-kidding. At the very least, all cell phones and electronic devices should be forbidden to be carried by workers in the work area. They can drop them off before work, and get them returned afterwards, just like you have to check your bags when you enter certain stores. There is obviously a security problem, and industrial espionage/theft should not be taken lightly.
I think that somebody should go to prison for at least a decade or two for stealing an Apple part, because even though the value of the part may only be a few dollars, the value of the intellectual property that they are stealing and the potential damage and monetary loss that their criminal actions may cause could easily be in the millions, if not more.
If Apple or Foxconn ever needs somebody to crack the whip on those workers, I'd be more than happy to oblige, even though I'm not in search of any employment.
Rumor: Checks with upstream Apple parts suppliers indicate that Foxconn workers' white hairnets soon will be replaced with blue hairnets
Mini: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB; WIFI or 3G; black or white (12 ref.)
iPad: new Lightning connector on all existing 12 references
http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/10/apples-secret-garden-the-struggle-over-leaks-and-security/