Images of alleged Retina iPad Mini appear on Chinese forum

Photos posted to a Chinese Internet forum of what appears to be the back casing of a future iPad Mini are leading some to speculate that the next version of Apple's smaller tablet may have a Retina display.

On the forum, the images show what seems to be an iPad Mini rear casing with a blue Apple logo and the word "iPad" in blue. Current iPad Minis, Apple Insider points out, have either black or silver detailing.

But the photos also seem to show that the casing is thicker than the one used for the current-generation iPad Mini, and that's led to theories that, because the full-size Retina-quality iPad was thicker than its non-Retina predecessor, the next Mini will also have an upgraded display.

This, of course, would be just the latest fodder for those who think Apple will release an iPad Mini with a Retina display. Rumors to that effect began appearing just days after the first version of the device went on sale. In November, the Chinese-language DoNews site reported that iPad Mini display maker AUO was working on a 2,048x1,536-pixel resolution display for the next iteration of the device.

And more recently, there's been talk in Asia that if Apple does release an iPad Mini with a retina display, the tablet would carry a higher price than the original model.