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These purported schematics of the iPad mini now appear to be real

Earlier today, we reported that the upcoming iPad mini would look like a larger iPod touch, complete with skinner side bezels. This skinnier bezel on the sides of the iPad are said to make the iPad mini easier and more comfortable to hold.

The lack of bezel on the side will not allow you to carry it like you hold a full-size iPad when in portrait mode without triggering some multi-touch on the display. Perhaps Apple has some software to dull the side touches when in portrait mode. But, really, this is unnecessary. You will need to hold it from the back more like you hold a phone (or one of those 7-inch tablets above). This is not hard, and in fact, it is the de facto way I tend to hold a Nexus 7 even though it has a bezel.

This iPad mini bezel design is a key design differentiator from the iPad (9.7-inch) that features a uniformly sized bezel around the entire device.

Tonight, looking back at earlier iPad mini rumors, we came across a pair of schematics that we reported on in mid-July. These iPad mini drawings, originally posted at ThinkiOS, were initially sketchy looking to us. Mainly because of the sourcing, but also because they appeared conveniently after the first iPad mini case moldings.

However, as you can see, these drawings completely match up with what we reported today. You can see the thick bezel on the top and bottom of the design, and the thinner bezel along the sides.

Also present is an ultra-thin design, front-facing camera, rear-camera, and a smaller dock connector.

Is this simply a coincidence? Maybe. But are these images a solid representation of what the iPad mini will look like? We think so.

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