A new report suggests that the third-generation iPad’s incompatibility is due to a change in the sensor used to sense magnets and not due to a change in placement or some other matter. Blogger Mark Booth claims that Apple is using a new design of sleep/wake sensor in the third-gen iPad that is sensitive to polarity, and that cases which appear not to work with the new model are simply built with the incorrect polarity.
In addition, Booth claims that Apple made the change due to complaints from some iPad 2 customers who found that their iPads would go to sleep simply from folding the Smart Cover flat behind the device. According to Booth, Apple modified the design specifications of its Smart Covers sometime in 2011, giving the updated units new model numbers, and fixing the accidental activation problem.
For more information, see our Backstage article on the subject. [via The Verge]
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