What features will Apple add to its successful

When Apple launched the iPad Mini in October 2012 pretty much no-one was expecting it to debut alongside a revamped full-size iPad, but that’s exactly what happened when the iPad 4 emerged.

The changes included a brand new and much faster A6X processor and a more efficiently tweaked RAM setup, along with 4G LTE capability and a re-designed charging port for the new Lightning connector. We’ve also since seen the introduction of a larger 128GB storage model.

Just a month after the launch of the miniature iPad and its larger iPad 4 counterpart, hype around the iPad 5 release had already begun and the gossip points firmly to a thinner and lighter slate hitting the shelves within the year. 

But what else is in the pipeline? We round up all the latest news, rumours, leaks and ‘trusted source quotes’ to paint a picture of what to expect.

Apple is expected to launch the iPad 5 ‘around the middle of 2013’, according to Asian news site Digitimes. The site claimed that Apple’s component manufacturers would reveal strong fiscal results during the first quarter of 2013, as a result of several recent high-profile launches which include, amongst others, the iPhone 5, iPad Mini and 4G-enabled iPad 4.

If rumours prove to be accurate, Apple could expect to fill its pockets even further with the launch of another new iPad, an iPad Mini 2 and at least one more iPhone device within 2013.

Reports from January placed a possible launch date as October 2013 and claimed the iPad 5 design would be very different from the iPad 4, being ‘smaller’ and with ‘virtually no left or right bezel’ and citing the iPad Mini as an inspiration.

Rumours emerged in February that Apple may be planning to launch the iPad 5 in the third quarter of 2013 and suggesting it might have a thinner bezel, yet again implying some sharing of design elements with the iPad Mini to help reduce bulk.

As the iPad 4 launched alongside the original iPad Mini, there’s also a lot of talk about the idea that the iPad 5 will be released in tandem with the forthcoming iPad Mini 2. Assuming Apple sticks to its usual 12-month product cycle that would place both devices arriving in October 2013. However, some initial rumours surrounding the iPad Mini 2 suggest the first or second quarter.

When the iPad 3 and iPad 4 launched in March and October (respectively), they both donned a similar price tag, ranging from £300 up to £659 for the 4G & Wi-Fi enabled model.

While speculation on pricing is always slim, Apple’s pricing tends to follow a distinct pattern that – more or less - gives it away each year (much like its product launches). It goes as follows: old model gets a slight price drop and new model comes in at the same price point as the older model.

That means we can expect the iPad 5 to cost the same as the current iPad, which should fall down in price when its successor arrives.

While the iPad 4 is equipped with higher-spec innards than the iPad 3, their form factors are pretty much identical, raising the prospect of a revised outer crust for the iPad 5.

Convincing pictures showed up in January depicting what appeared to be an iPad 5 back plate which mirrored many key design features of the iPad Mini chassis, lending further credit to the theory that it’ll look like a blown-up version of Apple’s smaller tablet creation.

Most notably, the leaked shots show a body which looks to be as thin as the iPad Mini shell, meaning it could be around 7.2mm thin. Thinner and lighter is the usual mantra for mobile product updates and a report from December 2012 suggested the iPad 5’s body will be shaved back and have the weight taken out of it. This would also sit with Apple’s re-invention of the iPhone with the iPhone 5, which weighs next to nothing.

The iPad 4 sports 4G connectivity, meaning it can run the superfast mobile broadband currently being offered by network operator EE (Everything Everywhere), as well as an A6X processor system-on-a-chip, which claims to be twice as fast as the last iPad. 

However, the iPad 5 is expected to boast better 4G-connectivity and will likely ship with an even faster chip than any of its predecessors.

It’s also possible we’ll see an update to the iOS operating system software. It’s known that Apple’s design guru Jony Ive has been placed in charge of an overhaul project for the platform which could see him bringing his flair for minimalist aesthetic to the now-tired interface. Apple’s services are also expected to receive a face-lift, including iTunes, while the company is apparently in talks with Beats Audio over a possible music streaming service.