Digital caliper comparison suggests 0.81mm thicker iPad 3

9to5 Staff | Feb 28 2012 - 8:06 am PT

(note the misplaced decimal above)

Apple.pro recently leaked spy shots of the purported iPad 3 front glass and a next-generation iPod nano with a camera on the back. Today, the Chinese blog is at it again, pointing to an image depicting the thickness of the third-generation iPad’s shell compared to the current-generation iPad 2. Resorting to a good ol’ digital caliper, the photograph reveals iPad 3 to be 9.50mm thick.

Compare this to iPad 2’s depth of 8.8mm (the original iPad is 13.4mm), and the third-generation iPad could end up a hair thicker than its predecessor could. Or, if we are really nitpicking, it is 0.81mm thicker. It would seem there is some merit to that talk of a slightly thicker iPad 3 with more tapering and narrower bezel. Apple is likely to unveil iPad 3 at a media event next March 7.

According to sources that spoke with 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman, at least three next-generation iPads are expected. It is speculated iPad 3 would run a dual-core A5X chip with an improved graphics engine. This chip is said to be an evolution of iPad 2’s A5 processor and not a major upgrade that the rumored quad-core A6 silicon is expected to be. Near-immediate availability is being mulled for iPad 3 as shipments were spotted landing at ports of multiple countries around the world.

As for the purported digital caliper comparison photo, it is worth noting that Apple.pro is a reliable source for Apple hardware rumors in the past. With that said, you should keep in mind the article and observations are based on someone’s Photobucket upload, so it would be wise to apply a few pinches of salt to this little news nugget.