Images of what is claimed to be the back cover of a third-generation iPad have been posted online.

Taiwanese website Apple Pro published the photographs recently with the article's author, Anthony Tsai, claiming that the images had been passed to him by a "foreigner".

The image shows no markings other than an Apple logo on the panel, which otherwise looks exactly like that of the iPad 2.

Another image in the original report shows magnets for the Smart Cover, which would also appear to be similar to those on the iPad 2.

The image comes hours after Fix-iPhones posted a picture on its Repair Labs blog of what it claims to be the iPad 3 back housing. According to their analysis, the logic board will be a different shape to that in the iPad 2.

This will allow for a larger battery, the report claims. Fix-iPhones also believes that there will be a different camera in the iPad 3, though notes "it is hard to make a judgment just by looking at the casing", so we're not quite sure how they came to that conclusion.

The logic board mountings also suggest that the LCD has been redesigned, the blog post notes, and the source of the image believes that this particular component isn't quite ready yet, or is being kept top secret.

You can see a large version of Fix-iPhone's image here.

Report: iPad 3 Event Set for March

In a separate development, it's iPad 3 fever all over again recently as unconfirmed reports of an iPad 3 launch in early March circulate online. Adding to the excitement is alleged leaked pictures of Apple (www.apple.com)'s next-gen iPad "retina display" made by Sharp.

Where would we be without Apple rumors, leaks, and shameless speculation? Probably calmer and better informed, so I'm not betting much on this purported snap of the next iPad's multi-touch screen. Additionally, according to AllThingsD, Apple is planning to roll out its next iPad in March. We have heard these roll-out rumors before. Last time the Internet worked its way into an iPad tizzy the iPad was set to launch in February. That turned out to be balderdash.

I'm not going to join the hordes and speculate on the March arrival of the iPad 3 (or not). But I do find the reports of a retina display very intriguing. Let's take a careful look at what it tells us (or doesn't) about the iPad 3 just the same.