9to5 Mac has gotten their hands on what is purported to be a case for the long awaited iPad 2. The dimensions of the case indicate that the next iPad will be incredibly thin. This silicon case has most of the design features that have been rumored for some time now, but also leaves room for a mystery or two. If this new case design proves to be accurate, then it could point to something entirely new for the Apple tablet.

This new case has room for all the standard features on the current iPad model and a has room for few more as well. The 30-pin dock connector is right where it should be, as is the headphone jack and power button. The volume buttons are also in their normal place, but that’s where the similarities end.

At the bottom of the case there’s a large cutout for what’s assumed to be the speaker. It’s widely believed that Apple wants to improve the quality of the speak by increasing it’s size. The case also includes a camera hole exactly where it’s expected to be located on Apple’s latest device. It’s currently unclear what type of camera the iPad 2 will have, but rumors indicate that it may only be a one megapixel camera, instead of the five megapixel camera found on the iPhone 4. The size of the hole, however, is large enough to fit a camera similar in size to the one found on the iPhone 4.

There is also a mystery port on the prototype case. It is said to be too small to for an SD card to fit though and a USB cable doesn’t fit well either. The most likely candidate for this port may be a micro-USB port. It’s also been rumored that Apple may include Intel’s new Light Peak technology on the latest iPad, but this is less likely to be the case. If this does turn out to be a micro-USB port then it would make this device compliant with Europe’s new micro-USB port regulations.

Apple appears to be planning an impressive array of upgrades for the iPad 2, if these indications prove to be accurate. With so much competition in the tablet market right now, Apple will have to stay ahead of the pack to maintain their lead. It’s looks like we have a lot to look forward to when the iPad 2 is released in the not too distant future.





Source: 9to5 Mac