Apple is said to be planning the launch of a 10.5-inch iPad Pro at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) holding from June 5 to June 9. While speculations and rumors are centered on the upcoming iPad, images of the prototype of Apple’s first generation iPad (the real stuff) leaked online. Apple discontinued production of the first-gen iPad in 2011, only a year after its first production. That means the first-gen iPad isn’t on the market, except you’ll get someone on eBay who is ready to trade his.
So you see, the iPad 1 which was first launched in 2010 is almost becoming a collector’s item. You’ll then agree that owning a prototype which preceded the actual product is a rare privilege. The prototype is said to date back to three months before the launch of the iPad and is still fully functional. Design wise, the prototype looks exactly like the iPad 1 but there are features to show it’s a prototype and not the actual product. There is a box-like etching around the Apple logo at the back of the device along with four cut-outs in the
Design wise, the prototype looks exactly like the iPad 1 but there are features to show it’s a prototype and not the actual product. There is a box-like etching around the Apple logo at the back of the device along with four cut-outs in the aluminum fuselage (revealing the Wi-Fi antenna connections). It’s a prototype and there are multiple factory engineering asset tags (identifying the manufacturer of each part), as well as Apple Development Team prototype identification stickers, and two anomalous prototype serial numbers. On the front aspect, the iPad prototype’s Development Team ID number is laser engraved into the glass in three places. The prototype’s working display shows it is running a fully functional build of Apple’s internal factory firmware, known as “SwitchBoard.” Every other feature seems to be the same as on the final iPad 1.
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The iPad has gotten several successors and a lot of improvements over the previous models and it has proven to be a worthy venture for Apple. It all began with this prototype.
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