Hands-on with iPad 3 Front Glass, Rear Shell, and Cases (video)
Keeping you, our dear M.I.C. readers updated, we have some very interesting news for you. Despite the rumors that Apple would be having no home button on their next-generation iPad, we have gotten our hands on the parts through our sources …
Context & Ripple Effects
The iPad 3 leak cycle has been building since December 2011, when an internal replacement part surfaced hinting at a major redesign, and M.I.C. Gadget's own February rumor roundup collected the speculation ahead of an expected March launch. The most persistent claim traces back to January 2011, when BGR reported Apple would drop the home button on the next iPad.
What makes this hands-on notable is that it tests those claims against physical hardware: the assembled front glass and rear shell retain the home button cutout, and per MacRumors' pickup of the video, the iPad 2 Smart Cover still fits. The story traveled unusually wide for a parts leak, picked up by CNET, VentureBeat, Gotta Be Mobile, Redmond Pie, and others within a day.
First-order effects
- Case and accessory makers working from these parts can lock final molds before Apple announces anything — Griffin and Belkin part listings already circulating under an 'iPad HD' name suggest retail-ready accessories will be day-one available.
- The visible home-button cutout in the sourced parts directly undercuts the year-old home-button-removal rumor, forcing that narrative off the table days before launch.
Second-order effects
- Smart Cover compatibility confirms unchanged external dimensions, meaning Apple's entire first-party and third-party iPad 2 accessory catalog carries over — protecting accessory revenue but giving press one fewer redesign talking point.
- Third-party repair shops gain advance access to replacement panels and shells, letting them stock inventory for day-one screen repairs of the new Retina-class display.
Third-order effects
- If the pattern holds, Apple's Asian component chain functions as a standing pre-announcement pipeline — assembly-line parts reaching bloggers weeks before keynotes, shrinking the surprise value of the official event itself.
- Pre-launch accessory certification becomes a competitive race among Griffin, Belkin, and peers, with naming decisions (like 'iPad HD') leaking through SKU databases rather than Apple's own messaging.
The trend: Supply-chain component leaks are becoming the industry's real product preview, with assembled-part videos and accessory-maker listings revealing flagship device designs before the manufacturer speaks.