Apple iPad 5 to take on iPad mini design traits?
New iPad 5 rumours have emerged suggesting Apple’s next-generation tablet will launch in September with a redesigned form factor 33 per cent lighter than the current model.
With past iPad 5 rumours pointing towards a device with a design similar to that of the current iPad mini, latest reports have claimed production of the fifth-generation 9.7-inch tablet will kick off in July, with the Google Nexus 10 rival to be considerably slimmer and lighter than its predecessor.
Citing “sources within Taiwan’s supply chain,” reports from serial Apple tipster DigiTimes has claimed that ahead of a September iPad 5 release date, production is being readied for the coming months, with the next-gen device to line up 25 to 33 per cent lighter than the iPad 4 thanks in large to a revised glass substrate just 0.2mm thick.
Although reportedly making a jump to a new glass element, the iPad 5 is expected to feature the same 2,048 x 1,536 Retina display as the iPad 4, although with a narrow bezel, the overall footprint of the tablet is set to be reduced.
Further dropping unwanted weight, a single LED backlight is to be utilised on the iPad 5 design, down from two on past models.
According to the latest reports, “LG Display, Samsung Display and Sharp are expected to be the suppliers of display panels for the 5th-generation iPad, while Taiwan Surface Mounting Technology will undertake SMT for the LED light bars.”
iPad 5 Rumours
With an iPad 5 release date widely expected to be held as part of a bumper Apple release later this year, it is believed the tablet could line up alongside the iPad mini 2 and the eagerly awaited iPhone 6.
Adopting an iPad mini esque form factor, the iPad 5 is seemingly set to feature all the usual upgrades, with a speedier quad-core processor having been tipped to feature alongside a refreshed rear-mounted camera and, potentially, larger storage options.
The latest iPad 5 rumours follow previous claims that the tablet will hit retailers 15 per cent thinner and 25 per cent lighter than past models, with KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently stating: "We think the tablet will, at 7.5-8.0mm, be 15 per cent thinner than iPad 4.”
