Purported iPad 2 case diagrams depict altered design

Case mold drawings obtained from an Asian supplier hint at the design features of the second-generation iPad, claims 9to5Mac. The diagrams appear to support notions that the new device will use tapered edges, similar to those on the iPod touch; the model should continue to use a contoured back though, as opposed to a flat one. More significantly, a cutout section shows space for a rear camera roughly the size of the iPhone 4's.

Because of the nature of the ipad case, there is no hint one way or another of a front-facing camera. Also a mystery is a new opening on the left-hand side of the hardware. The space is believed to be reserved for an SD card slot, a mini USB port and/or a full-sized USB connection. Peripheral support has been a common complaint about the first-generation iPad, since tasks as simple as importing photos from a camera require a special adapter and access to the tablet's lone dock connector.

Rumors from Foxconn sources additionally suggest that the second-gen model may be only 8.5mm thick. It's unknown however whether the measurement was done from the edge or the center; if at the center, the product would be thinner than the original iPad's 13.4mm. Such a change could alleviate weight problems which make an iPad difficult to hold single-handed for a long stretch of time.