An eBay listing for a prototype first-generation iPad provides further confirmation that Apple produced a prototype iPad with a second Dock Connector. Although leaks, patent drawings and casings previously revealed that Apple was considering adding a second Dock Connector, this prototype represents the first complete picture of the dual-connector design.
This design corresponds to reports iLounge published prior to the announcement of the original iPad in January 2010, noting that Apple was planning a second Dock Connector on the horizontal bottom edge, which would have enabled the device to be mounted and charged in either portrait or landscape mode. The eBay listing notes that the iPad prototype and both Dock Connectors are functional, with the exception of problems with the touch screen.
The prototype is running Apple’s “Switchboard” software testing suite and is running a beta version of iOS 3.2, the iOS version that shipped with the original iPad. The device carries a standard model number of A1219 along with “many identifying numbers” disclosing specific prototype information, as well as a casing date of 2009.
