It was rumored previously (and we got pretty excited about it) that iPad 2 will come with an SD Card Slot. However, new “leaked” cases for the device suggest that they will NOT have SD slots.

“[An] SD card slot is unlikely to appear in the next-generation iPad, with the unknown case cutout actually corresponding to the 3G model’s SIM card slot, which has reportedly been located from further down the left edge of the device.”

More on the matter:

In a mockup analysis of all the openings and recesses in those cases, it was speculated that that left-side opening could represent the much-rumored SD Card slot. However, a person that AppleInsider trusts on matters such as these has since rebutted that notion, stating instead that the break in the next-gen iPad enclosure at that location is actually a relocation of the tablet’s SIM card slot.

That may explain why some of the other next-gen iPad casings making the rounds don’t sport the same opening, as users of 3G iPads aren’t likely to need ready access to the SIM slot on a daily basis. And like Gruber’s sources on the subject, the same person referenced above gave no indication that there’s an SD Card slot elsewhere on the device.

If you think about it, Apple took forever to add SD slots to the MacBook Pros. Though it will be disappointing, it’s not in the very least surprising. Thoughts?