Another set of images purporting to be components from the new iPad 3 has leaked. This set appears to show that Apple’s next-generation tablet will have an 8 megapixel camera to match the one found in the iPhone 4S.
The images come from Apple Daily (Google Translation) a tech site based in Taiwan. They appear to show the back panel of the iPad 3 with an opening for a camera lens that is significantly larger than that of the iPad 2
The iPad 2’s decidedly paltry camera was one of the main criticisms of the device when it launched nearly a year ago. At a time when Apple was putting increasingly high-quality cameras into the iPhone, the 1 megapixel camera in the iPad 2 felt to many like an afterthought. As such, the iPad 3 has long been expected to get a major upgrade to its camera. Several recent rumors have predicted a higher-quality camera in the iPad 3, with some speculating what Apple Daily’s report appears to confirm: that the iPad 3 would be getting a camera sensor like that of the iPhone 4S, which is one of the best cameras available on a mobile phone.
Assuming Apple Daily’s image is genuine, it appears to match up well with other leaks that have come to light regarding the iPad 3’s camera. Early last month there were reports that the iPad 3 would be getting an iPhone 4S-like rear camera and FaceTime HD on the front camera. Then two weeks ago several more images of the iPad 3’s internal component and back panel leaked. As with Apple Daily’s image, those images showed an opening for a camera lens that was roughly the same size as the lens of the iPhone 4S.
One thing the iPad 3’s case does not appear to leave room for, however, is the LED flash found on both the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S. So while the iPad 3 camera may be getting a big boost, Apple does not seem to be implementing the same strategy with the iPad camera that it has with the iPhone camera. While the iPhone 4S designed with an eye toward replacing users’ standalone point-and-shoot cameras, there are apparently no such plans for the iPad 3.