It's been less than two months since the last iPad update, but rumors are circulating of a thinner, lighter version already in the works for March.
The current 4th generation iPad changed little from its predecessor, leading many analysts to guess that the true purpose was simply to upgrade the flagship tablet to Apple's smaller new Lightning connector.
The current iPad also got a processor upgrade, to the A6 chip used in the iPhone, as well as a FaceTime HD camera.
Of course, those upgrades came only eight months after the 3rd generation iPad, angering many consumers who had bought an iPad earlier in the year and now felt they had old hardware.
Apple also released the iPad Mini, a 7.9-inch version of the iPad, in November. The rumored new iPad that might be out in March takes some cues from the smaller iPad Mini.
The Japanese blog Macotakara gives the new iPad impossibly small dimensions, but most analysts think that a miscommunication. Much more likely is that the new version will be slightly smaller and thinner than the current version.
Apple seems poised to cram the iPad into a form factor that is 4 mm shorter, 17 mm narrower and 2 mm thinner. That doesn't sound like a lot of material, but it will probably make the new iPad noticeably lighter and nearly as thin as the iPad Mini.
Currently, the 4th generation iPad is 241.2 mm long by 185.7 mm wide by 9.4 mm deep, so it's not a significant reduction in size.
The new iPads should also be getting design influence from the iPad Minis, featured black/slate and white/silver color schemes.
If a new iPad does come out in March, it means Apple is sticking to its previous release schedule. It also means the recent release of the 4th generation iPad was a fluke.
In addition, Macotakara says the iPad Mini will get a Retina display with the same 2048 by 1536 pixel dimensions of the last two iPad iterations.
Of course, if there isn't a new iPad in March, there will be one shortly after. Apple's quick turnover is something consumers can always count on.
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