Apple Rumored to Release iPad 5 in September, Is Still Deciding on iPad mini 2 Features

Surprise! A new iPad is en route. Didn't see that one coming, right? According to industry-tracking site DigiTimes, Apple is slated to launch the next iPad (5th generation) in September, and months later, it's expected to launch the 2nd generation iPad mini. It could be assumed that Apple might have enjoyed the idea of launching both at around the same time, but interestingly enough, the company is still mulling over the idea of whether or not the mini is deserving of a high-resolution Retina display.

The featureset for the next-gen iPad is still up in the air, but DigiTimes is reporting that it's going to come in a 9.7-inch form-factor (this is compared to 9.5-inch that the iPad 2, 3 and 4 were built around; iPad 1 was 9.56-inch). In addition, Apple is targeting a bezel-less display for its next iPad, mimicking the the design of some Samsung and HTC smartphones. Given the minor increase in physical size and the fact that there is no need to, it's highly likely that the iPad 5 will retain the same resolution as its predecessor (2048x1536; in effect decreasing its PPI slightly).

DigiTimes also notes that the number of LED tubes will be reduced from two to one for the next-gen iPad, and that, in combination with potentially extra space inside, battery-life will improve. As we reported back in April, the iPad 5 could also be up to 25% lighter than the iPad 4, and it seems likely that it will feature Apple's upcoming A7X SoC.

As mentioned above, details surrounding the 2nd generation iPad mini are scarce at the moment, except for the fact that Apple is still trying to figure out whether or not it will sport a Retina display. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if it did feature a larger resolution, but it seems unlikely that it would match the 2048x1536 one of the iPad 4 and 5 - Apple likes to differentiate its product-lines better than that, and the iPad mini is going to be 1.8-inches smaller. I could see Apple meeting everyone halfway, with an oddball resolution like 1536x1152, because let's face it, 1024x768 on a tablet in 2013 (or 2010, for that matter), isn't so attractive.

With the iPad 5 set to launch in a mere two months, we'll undoubtedly be learning more about it via leaks over the next month - if there is indeed more coming than just the upgraded processor, larger size, and enhanced battery-life, that is.