The upcoming Apple tablet (iPad?) will sport twin dock-connectors, and a very 1st Gen iPhone-esque black plastic strip in the rear casing to allow for the device’s multiple antennae some wireless breathing room, according to iLounge.
The folks over at iLounge say they’ve vetted this information, and claim that it not only came from “highly reliable sources,” but that it’s double-confirmed.
This new information combined with what we already know about the device give us a pretty full perspective, even though we can’t see it for another week at the earliest.
Twin Dock Connectors
The 💜 of EU tech
The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
The idea of twin dock connectors isn’t a new one, as there have always been a large group of nitpickers who complain about a plug sticking out the “side” of their iPhones when they use them in widescreen mode. The fact that the new tablet will be a 10″ device allows for a dock-connector on both the bottom edge, and the other bottom of the device — the left edge.
The size of the tablet makes this not so much ridiculous and more utilitarian, as the added docking station will allow users to choose their viewing orientation on a whim, and not by what works with the cable.
Plastic Patch
As for the plastic segment of the aluminum casing; the idea isn’t novel in any way, it’s the size of the strip that counts. Instead of a small plastic dot like a phone would have, this unit is supposed to have a full strip of plastic along the top rear casing. This generally means a greater concentration on those harder-to-reach wireless signals.
It also lends to the idea that the tablet will sport 802.11n along with the usual gamut of wifi standards.
—
Overall, it’s shaping up to be a rather nice device, should all these leaks, rumors and “facts” add up come release-date. The added docking station, along with the ability to dock the tablet in either portrait or landscape mode at any given time, make for a much more appealing device for people actually considering using it as a mobile computer, and not just a huge iPhone. The screen size is on par with that of the most popular netbooks (mine included), and it’s undoubtedly slick, but at an expected price-point of nearly $1,000 USD it’s an awful lot to ask of consumers.
Image: Pyco Mall.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.