First Photos of the iPad 5 Rear Shell Show a Significantly Smaller Enclosure

Ipad5back
Rumored 5th Generation iPad (left) vs iPad mini (right)

9to5Mac has unconfirmed images of what could be the rear panel for the next iPad. The images match up very closely with a report from last week.

While we cannot confirm that the above image is legitimate, it does provide a solid representation of what Apple’s next iPad will likely look like. We were told this is a prototype back piece for the fifth-generation iPad with a 9.7-inch display. We were also told that the casing is almost as thin as the iPad mini’s back (pictured to the right). As you can see at the top of the purported iPad 5 backplate, this casing would likely be for an LTE model – as the black antenna cut implies.

ipadside
The report lines up with iLounge's first description of the new iPad which is expected to arrive in October with smaller, iPad mini-esque bezels and chamfered edges and curves.

What does it look like? Well, it’s a lot smaller than one would guess was possible: in portrait orientation, picture a 9.7” screen with virtually no left or right bezels, and only enough space above and below the screen to accommodate the mandatory camera and Home Button elements. Beyond that, it’s noticeably thinner, as well, which is to say the the fifth-generation iPad will be smaller in every dimension than its predecessors. As it will have the same chamfered edges and curves, calling it a “stretched iPad mini” is very close to entirely accurate.

Leaks of parts for upcoming Apple products are becoming more and more common as the Asian supply chain grows larger.

Update:

compare

In this composite, you see the new iPad is much smaller than the current iPad. The iPad 4 (image) and iPad 5 (image) have been overlaid to show the relative sizes.

Update 2: A reader overlaid the screen sizes showing how much of a bezel the new iPad might have.

Update 3: Diwali posted this mockup based on the dimensions of the case:

ipad5 2

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Caution)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Use Same Rear Chassis as iPhone 16

Friday July 19, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Just Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Monday July 15, 2024 4:44 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
iphone 14 lineup

Cellebrite Unable to Unlock iPhones on iOS 17.4 or Later, Leak Reveals

Thursday July 18, 2024 4:18 am PDT by
Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, according to leaked documents verified by 404 Media. The documents provide a rare glimpse into the capabilities of the company's mobile forensics tools and highlight the ongoing security improvements in Apple's latest devices. The leaked "Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix" obtained by 404 Media...
tinypod apple watch

TinyPod Turns Your Apple Watch Into an iPod

Wednesday July 17, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
If you have an old Apple Watch and you're not sure what to do with it, a new product called TinyPod might be the answer. Priced at $79, the TinyPod is a silicone case with a built-in scroll wheel that houses the Apple Watch chassis. When an Apple Watch is placed inside the TinyPod, the click wheel on the case is able to be used to scroll through the Apple Watch interface. The feature works...
bsod

Crowdstrike Says Global IT Outage Impacting Windows PCs, But Mac and Linux Hosts Not Affected

Friday July 19, 2024 3:12 am PDT by
A widespread system failure is currently affecting numerous Windows devices globally, causing critical boot failures across various industries, including banks, rail networks, airlines, retailers, broadcasters, healthcare, and many more sectors. The issue, manifesting as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), is preventing computers from starting up properly and forcing them into continuous recovery...
Apple Watch Series 9

2024 Apple Watch Lineup: Key Changes We're Expecting

Tuesday July 16, 2024 7:59 am PDT by
Apple is seemingly planning a rework of the Apple Watch lineup for 2024, according to a range of reports from over the past year. Here's everything we know so far. Apple is expected to continue to offer three different Apple Watch models in five casing sizes, but the various display sizes will allegedly grow by up to 12% and the casings will get taller. Based on all of the latest rumors,...

Top Rated Comments

Dwalls90 Avatar
150 months ago
Nothing surprising here really. Only the fact that everyone thought it would be held off until the Fall. I'm glad it's not!

I'm getting tired and annoyed of product leaks!

I miss the days when products were not basically leaked piece by piece and essentially put together weeks before the announcement. I miss the days of not knowing what was going to be unveiled at the keynote. I miss the feeling of complete surprise and awe when the product was finally unveiled after waiting on the edge of my seat for what felt like an eternity.

Sure the leak if the iphone 4 was some fluke freak accident - and shocking at the same time, but knowing what the iphone 5 looked like a month before the keynote was just down right annoying.

I wish the supply chain would stop leaking images :(
Dude, you are on a RUMOR WEBSITE.
Score: 90 Votes (Like | Disagree)
slffl Avatar
150 months ago
gonna need some other reason to upgrade; ipad3 does everything perfectly

honestly thinking about going android with it's higher res screen (2560x1600)

You're think about switching ecosystems and the best hardware, for a few more pixels? Wow, you deserve android.
Score: 64 Votes (Like | Disagree)
saccento Avatar
150 months ago
Who are ya kidding? That's iPhone 6!!
Score: 58 Votes (Like | Disagree)
w00t951 Avatar
150 months ago
At least this photo wasn't taken with a potato.
Score: 46 Votes (Like | Disagree)
daynel Avatar
150 months ago
I'm getting tired and annoyed of product leaks!

I miss the days when products were not basically leaked piece by piece and essentially put together weeks before the announcement. I miss the days of not knowing what was going to be unveiled at the keynote. I miss the feeling of complete surprise and awe when the product was finally unveiled after waiting on the edge of my seat for what felt like an eternity.

Sure the leak if the iphone 4 was some fluke freak accident - and shocking at the same time, but knowing what the iphone 5 looked like a month before the keynote was just down right annoying.

I wish the supply chain would stop leaking images :(
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dkouts Avatar
150 months ago
Not sure about the residual masking tape.
Probably would've gone for a more industrial binding process.

Seems very un-Apple.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)