Taiwanese Site Sued by Supplier After Leaking Claimed iPad 3 Dock Connector

Last July, Taiwanese site Apple.pro posted photos of what was claimed to be the dock connector and ribbon cable for the iPad 3. While the connector doesn't reveal much of anything about the full iPad 3 device other than some speculation about the connector itself being white as opposed to black on the iPad 2, it was one of the first reported leaks of iPad 3 parts.

ipad 3 dock connector 1
Claimed iPad 3 dock connector leaked in July 2011

Apple's suppliers seem to have taken the leak seriously, however, as Apple.pro now seems to report [Google translation] that it has been sued by the supplier responsible for the part leaked in last year's report.

Apple's security demands are of course well-known, but parts for the company's devices have regularly leaked well before their public release. Most of the leaked parts have been basic ribbon cables and other internal components that have revealed little about the complete devices despite significant amounts of analysis and speculation.

Clearly Apple and its suppliers prefer that even these components not make their way into public view, although given the massive size of Apple's supply chain it may continue to have difficulty plugging leaks. Parts continue to leak on a regular basis, with some online vendors already offering some of the iPad 3 parts for sale.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Caution)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

Apple iPhone 16e Feature

Apple Announces iPhone 16e With A18 Chip and Apple Intelligence, Pricing Starts at $599

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:02 am PST by
Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, its newest entry-level smartphone. The device succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE, which has now been discontinued. The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, and this means that Apple no longer sells any iPhones with a Touch ID fingerprint button, marking the ...
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Models Rumored to Feature Aluminum Frame Instead of Titanium Frame

Tuesday February 18, 2025 12:02 pm PST by
Over the years, Apple has switched from an aluminum frame to a stainless steel frame to a titanium frame for its highest-end iPhones. And now, it has been rumored that Apple will go back to using aluminum for three out of four iPhone 17 models. In an investor note with research firm GF Securities, obtained by MacRumors this week, Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu said the iPhone 17, iPhone...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

Here Are the New Apple Products We're Still Expecting This Spring

Thursday February 20, 2025 5:06 am PST by
Now that Apple has announced its new more affordable iPhone 16e, our thoughts turn to what else we are expecting from the company this spring. There are three product categories that we are definitely expecting to get upgraded before spring has ended. Keep reading to learn what they are. If we're lucky, Apple might make a surprise announcement about a completely new product category. M4...
Generic iOS 18

Here's When Apple Will Release iOS 18.4

Wednesday February 19, 2025 11:38 am PST by
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple updated its iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia pages to give a narrower timeline on when the next updates are set to launch. All three pages now state that new Apple Intelligence features and languages will launch in early April, an update from the more broader April timeframe that Apple provided before. The next major point updates will be iOS ...
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
apple c1

Apple Unveils 'C1' as First Custom Cellular Modem

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:08 am PST by
Apple today announced its first custom cellular modem with the name "C1," debuting in the all-new iPhone 16e. The new modem contributes to the iPhone 16e's power efficiency, giving it the longest battery life of any iPhone with a 6.1-inch display, such as the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16. Expanding the benefits of Apple silicon, C1 is the first modem designed by Apple and the most...
Apple Northbrook

Apple Store Permanently Closing at Struggling Mall in Chicago Area

Tuesday February 18, 2025 8:46 pm PST by
Apple is permanently closing its retail store at the Northbrook Court shopping mall in the Chicago area. The company confirmed the upcoming closure today in a statement, but it has yet to provide a closing date for the location. Apple Northbrook opened in 2005, and the store moved to a larger space in the mall in 2017. Apple confirmed that affected employees will continue to work for the...

Top Rated Comments

praetorian909 Avatar
171 months ago
Ah ha! So this must be the new dock connector then!

Now if I could only somehow use this to figure out what the iPad 3 will look like. Hmm, it's not working...
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Consultant Avatar
171 months ago
Come on, it's not even transparent aluminum.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
amarcus Avatar
171 months ago
Should MacRumors be worried?

Not while SOPA hasn't passed ;)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Trauma1 Avatar
171 months ago
But did Liv have a nice birthday?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Thunderhawks Avatar
171 months ago
Ah ha! So this must be the new dock connector then!

Now if I could only somehow use this to figure out what the iPad 3 will look like. Hmm, it's not working...

We also know the home button.

I think from that we can figure it out.

Going to be a rectangle picture frame shape with a front and a back and a good chance that it has a screen.

When I leak something it looks like glass although ..........
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gasu E. Avatar
171 months ago
Legal documents submitted to the Cupertino city council show that they intend to plant hundreds of fruit trees. Pictures on several recent iProduct boxes show fruit outlines. Reports are that fruit can be purchased on company premises (Infinite Loop cafeteria and others). They had tables covered with fruit at WWDC. Sounds like things a fruit company would do.

But if so, so secretive that no orchard or grower currently seems to report any relationship whatsoever. But that's just standard business when dealing with them.

Infinite Fruit Loop.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)