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Apr 12, 2001
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While comparison photos of the iPad 2 rear shell and a claimed iPad 3 rear shell have shown slightly increased thickness for the forthcoming model and reports have suggested that the difference is roughly 1 mm, no measurements had surfaced to quantify the exact difference in thickness between the two devices.

Apple.pro now points [Google translation] to a new photo showing both shells being measured with a digital caliper. According to the photo, the iPad 2 rear shell measures in at 8.69 mm thick while the iPad 3 part comes in at 9.50 mm, a difference of 0.81 mm.

ipad_2_ipad_3_caliper.jpg

(Note: Text labels added by image poster are off by a factor of ten. Readings on caliper are correct.)

Apple's official iPad 2 specs peg the device at 8.8 mm thick, just slightly thicker that the rear shell itself, which wraps around the sides of the device. Given a nearly identical design for the iPad 3, the overall device would measure in at roughly 9.6 mm, or about 9% thicker than the iPad 2 but still well below the 13.4 mm thickness of the original iPad. Sources who have handled the iPad 3 rear shell suggest that the difference from the iPad 2 will be nearly imperceptible to users.

Article Link: iPad 3 Rear Shell Measures in at 9.5 mm Thick, 0.8 mm Thicker Than iPad 2
 
Geesh forget it then!

Wow, that's just ridiculous. I totally won't buy an iPad 3 now. It's too fat!

(sarcasm :) )
 
So it is over 3in thick?

How can I trust these measurements if someone can not even write down the result?
 
The photo's show the iPad 3 to be 95mm thick, that's about 3.75 inches. I think we may not be able house our old iPad 2 cases :D
 
Just hope that the 3rd party brings fast enough the same snap-on back cover I enjoy on my iPad 2; the hope of identical physical layout is gone.

But to be clear: 1mm more ? who cares ?
 
Those pictures are a bit of a fail.

95MM = 9.5 CM. That's one thick iPad! My TV's thinner than that!
 
Unacceptable.

Steve would have NEVER allowed this. He doesn't believe in making products thicker, only thinner.

/sarcasm. :)

Now, come on Apple, announce it next week and make it available the week of March 12-16. :p
 
Cue the next Samsung ad with a a guy with massive comedy hands trying to hold onto the iPad 3 due to its increased thickness.
 
The text says this:

The iPad 2 rear shell measures in at 8.69 mm thick while the iPad 3 part comes in at 9.50 mm, a difference of 0.81 mm.

Which, of course, is correct.

But according to the photo, the iPad 2 is 8.69 cm thick while the iPad 3 is 9.5 cm thick. It's funny because my 2010 Mac mini is only 3.7 cm thick.

Someone, somewhere, fails at using the metric system which is much easier than Imperial. :rolleyes:

edit: I guess I was too slow to write my post, lots of people beat me to it.
 
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