The first components of Apple’s mooted iPad 3 tablet have leaked online with the new part revealing the company’s plans to change the form factor of the market leading tablet.

Although an obscure and seemingly unimportant piece of tech innards at first glance, the reported iPad 3 component labelled the ‘821-1259-06’ has revealed Apple is to change the iPad’s design for the third-generation release whilst maintaining the white and black colour schemes.

Appearing to be a dock connector with attached ribbon cable, unlike the iPad and iPad 2 the iPad 3 component features a 90 degree turn as opposed to going straight on suggesting Apple is to reshuffle the device’s hardware features.

Said to be sourced from Apple’s “internal inventory” and leaked via web forum Apple.pro, a site responsible for leaking the latest iPod Nano prior to its formal arrival, the first iPad 3 component leak has offered an intriguing glance at what the future Apple tablet might have in store.

With tradition suggesting Apple is to launch the iPad 3 around April of 2012, recent reports have claimed Apple will launch a newly revamped tablet dubbed the iPad 2 Plus or iPad HD alongside the iPhone 5 this September.

What features would you like to see included on the mooted iPad 3? Let us know via the T3 Twitter and Facebook feeds.

Via: 9to5Mac