Leaked: iPad 3 logic board with A5X chipset

Apple’s iPad 3 is probably the most awaited device in the world right now. A leaked image that claims to feature the machine’s logic board and A5X chip is doing the round of the internet, raising hopes of a powerful, next-generation machine.

The image in question has been put up by WeiPhone, a Chinese website that had earlier been in the news for similar leaks. The chipset in the photograph is imprinted with the Apple logo and the name ‘A5X’. When the leak first came out, it surprised experts, most of whom had been expecting Apple’s A6 chipset on the iPad 3, considering that the original iPad featured an A4 chipset and the iPad 2 came out with an A5 chipset.

According to Macrumors, the ‘1146’ date code on the A5X chip indicates that it was manufactured in the 46th week of the previous year, i.e. the week of Novermber 14-20, 2011. 

A pair of 16GB flash memory chips from Hynix and a rectangular Apple-branded chip can also been seen on the logic board in the leaked picture. Macrumors found that the latter ‘corresponds to power management chips found in previous iPad teardowns’. This particular variant carries a higher part number, suggesting an upgraded part.

Multiple rumors about the specs of the iPad 3, of what it can and cannot do can be found aplenty on the internet. Among other things, Apple’s latest offering is expected to feature an 8MP camera, a high-resolution display and LTE capabilities. 

The world doesn’t have to wait too long to find out if all the iPad rumors are true; Apple is believed to unveil its next generation iPad 3 at a media event on March 7.