New iPad to be Released this Fall?

When Apple released the fourth generation iPad last fall alongside the announcement of the iPad Mini, it surprised, and even angered, a lot of people. Up until then, the company had stuck faithfully to its once per year upgrade cycle, which would have put the next iPad release to sometime this month or last month.

Because this deviation was somewhat unprecedented for Apple, there has been speculation since as to when the fifth generation iPad would appear. Many had hoped for the previous yearly cycle to resume as normal and indeed there have been many rumors predicting a new iPad unveil before the end of April. However, as April draws to a close, it would seem these rumors were wrong.

Meanwhile, analyst for KGI Securities Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested that the next iPad release will be this fall. Specifically, he predicts production will begin in August or September, just in time for a fall debut roughly one year after the fourth generation iPad's release.

Of course, any new iPad speculation wouldn't be complete without some specifications and Kuo doesn't disappoint. In fact, he gets fairly specific in terms of the size and weight of the new iPad, saying that it will measure between 7.5 and 8.0 mm thick — about 15 percent thinner than the iPad 4, which measures 9.4 mm thick. Likewise, the new iPad will be about 25 percent lighter than the iPad 4 at 500 grams (1.1 lbs).

Meanwhile, the iPad 5 is expected to run on an A7X processor, while its cameras aren't likely to be all that different from the current iPad's. Most interestingly, the iPad 5 is expected to receive a design overhaul, resembling the iPad Mini more than previous generations of the iPad.

In order to fit its beefier specs into a thinner frame, the iPad 5 is expected to use new, thinner display technology, while also sporting a smaller battery. However, the tablet's more efficient hardware will allow it to deliver comparable battery life to the iPad 4 despite its battery capacity being reduced by 25 to 30 percent.