iPad 3 home button changes shown

A part leak late Monday may have given some of the first tangible clues to hardware differences in the iPad 3. The examples spotted by 9to5 would show the familiar button layout but slight cosmetic changes to the minimalist icon as well as a significantly smaller backside layout. It suggests either that space is tight or that Apple had simply found a way to streamline the design without compromising its quality.

Rumors have existed of the iPad 3 being thicker to accommodate the dual-LED backlighting for a 2048x1536 display. The new home button, while a small contribution, might help minimize whatever changes Apple needs.

More significant may be the quantity of home buttons circulating, which is reportedly "large." If so, it would support talk of production starting now, if not weeks ago. Apple normally needs two or more months of production ramp up to guarantee enough quantities for a release.

Combined with possible power and volume buttons similar to the iPad 2, it's possible Apple is making a design that's externally conservative, where the display and performance are the selling points. If so, it would show Apple adopting the same pattern it took with the iPhone, where it followed two major initial revisions with alternating safe and major revisions.

By Electronista Staff