Parts retailer confirms that leaked iPad 3 components could be the real deal

We’ve seen a lot of evidence over the past few weeks that suggests that we are very close to seeing Apple unveil its next-generation tablet. Among that evidence are several “leaked” iPad 3 components, including a display panel and rear shell casing.

Now the same parts retailer that leaked the Sharp-made high resolution display last week has confirmed that the screen actually fits in the back shell casing, adding more credibility to its story that these are in fact iPad 3 components…

iLab Factory is reporting today that it has built a rudimentary slate out of the purported iPad 3 parts. The experiment has confirmed that the display, the back shell, and the dock connector we saw surface last year are all a part of the same tablet.

Does this mean that the device you see above is the iPad 3? Not necessarily. As 9to5Mac points out, it’s possible that these parts are just from an early prototype device and don’t accurately represent what the new iPad will look like.

Apple is rumored to unveil its iPad 3 sometime during the first two weeks of March. And although the tablet will look very similar to its predecessor, it’s expected to feature a number of internal upgrades including a quad-core processor, better cameras and possibly LTE technology.