It's always nice to see some solid concept pictures for an Apple product, especially when they are fueled by leaks from manufacturers like Foxconn. The upcoming iPad 3 tablet has had fans and the media reporting on rumors even before the iPad 2 was officially released and went on sale. While some concept pictures are truly for fun and won't ever even come close to the real product, shockingly some mockups are almost aligned perfectly with the actual design, specs and functionality.

Recently MacMagazine offered their take on the Apple iPad 3 and it is not over the top like some people always hope for, but it looks plausible and offers a sleek new concept that sort of reminds me of the iPhone 4 but tweaked, slimmer looking and better. Also noteworthy is the fact that this isn't Macmagazines first runaround with prototype photos either and they have some pretty good luck or skill if you will. MacMagazine was the source for a very close iPhone 4 prototype that they devised prior to its release, meaning that their latest iPad 3 prototypes could be spot on again.

Not to question their skill, but someone did "accidentally" leave an iPhone 4 prototype in a bar last year which could have been the source of their information for the prototype. Regardless, the latest Apple tablet mockups could be what your iPad 3 will look like, but we won't know for certain until it is demoed by Apple themselves. Apple is notoriously tight lipped and highly guarded with their devices only telling fans about them and giving demos basically a month or less from their actual release date. Maybe this is the source of the rampant rumors that constantly circulate the web, but it works great from a marketing perspective to cause huge hype and a loyal following fan base. With hype brings large early adoption rates of the newest devices and quickly turns investment costs into excellent ROI's.

The latest pictures have that new fresh feel and look even though it will obviously still need to resemble the general structure of an iPad. Think about how the iPhone 4 looked once it was upgraded from the 3GS. Upon analysis of the photos it offers a glimpse into the specs that fans should expect to see as well. The iPad 3 shows a curved glass back, 1080P camera at 5MP and a LED flash that sits alongside the rear facing camera making pictures a breeze. Yes, the iPad 2 has two cameras but their quality has been seriously questioned. Many fans were severely disappointed with the cameras that are on their iPad 2 and think they should have been a lot better considering what Apple is capable of.

Further inspection shows the coveted retina display and a FaceTime HD Camera on the front; and a new antenna, and stereo speakers at the bottom. You're undoubtedly in for a big overhaul with the iPad 3 and that's why so many rumors just keep circulating and won't die. Some are speculation but some are also from highly reputable sources that may have credible insider information. Apple has always suffered at the butt end of product leaks, photo leaks, and is starting to put some measures into place to limit these sort offenses which are indeed punishable by law. As a last depiction from the photos they also show the iPad 3 sitting at 0.29 inches in thickness and I'm really excited to see what comes of these photos.

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