For years it has been rumored that Apple would produce an iDevice from carbon fiber and the old rumors are now "fueled" by a new one which reiterates this idea. A blog from Japan that provided valid information about iPad 3 si iPhone 5, claims that Apple orders significant quantities of carbon fiber components to use in a new product. A few months ago, Apple ordered some carbon fiber components from a Japanese company to test them, and it seems that those orders would have increased enough to understand that they were produced with the idea of launching a new product.
According to my source, some engineer of Apple and Foxconn Technology came on Japanese company, which has carbon production in mid-March, and they requested to develop some sample. I don't have information which is ordered by Apple, source told the number of parts is too large to be called "sample". Apple already submitted a patent "REINFORCED DEVICE HOUSING" to product case with layered matrix-fiber material like CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic), and hired Kevin Kenney who was charged in building carbon bicycle at Kestral Bicycles as sensor composite engineer.
A few months ago, Apple also hired an engineer specialized in the production of carbon fiber bicycles, so it is interested in making something from this material, now it remains to be seen what. It's possible that the iPad 4 will have a carbon fiber case, it's possible that a new Mac will come with something like that, but for now these are just pure speculations that probably won't have an echo in the real world.
