According to Japanese blog Mac Otakara, Apple is supposedly in the middle of preparing a thinner and lighter fifth-generation iPad model ahead of a March unveiling. This would be shooting for a release just five months after the most recent version was released in October. Citing people who claim to be familiar with the issue, the Japanese blog claims the 9.7-inch tablet will surface in March with a new look more in line with the iPad mini.
As far as details go, the exact dimensions of the purported iPad weren’t revealed but the sources did expect the tablet to be thinner and lighter than its current iteration. This seems to be the case with most Apple products as designs in general have been trending toward shrinking the device while cramming in as much technology as possible. With the third and fourth-generation iPad, the chassis was actually slightly thicker than its predecessor as more internal space was required to hold the unit’s Retina display.
Although the rumor fits in well with recent whispers of Apple moving to an aggressive half-year product refresh cycle, the company usually works with a year-long rotation for its iDevice lines since their respective introductions. The only exception to that so far has been the fourth-generation iPad which debuted half a year after its predecessor. No mention was made of the 9.7-inch model’s internal specifications, but the publication did point out the iPad mini was already in the works. As of right now, rumor has it that the smaller tablet will be fitting an all-new 7.9-inch Retina display over hand-me-down specs such as the A6X currently found in the full-size iPad. No prospective launch timeline has been established though.
Ultimately, we’ll just have to be patient to see what Apple is up to.
Source: Mac Otakara via AppleInsider
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