Apple (AAPL) is wildly expected to introduce a smaller 7.85-inch iPad mini at the company’s event on Tuesday, but that doesn’t mean a newer iPad isn’t making its way towards production for release in the spring. We have received photos of what we’re told is the 4th generation iPad’s lightning dock connector. The photo compares the 4th generation iPad’s dock to the iPad mini dock, and the connector looks to be a brand new design. This most likely signals that the 4th generation iPad will also feature a redesigned interior to accommodate different components. We were also told that this is not simply the refreshed lightning dock connector for the 3rd generation iPad. We’ll have much more shortly. Thanks to Apple.pro and the Apple Musium Taiwan
Apple iPad 4 parts leak ahead of iPad mini release
![iPad 4 parts leak before iPad mini](https://bgr.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ipad-4-ipad-mini.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=764&h=574&crop=1)
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