Schematics show expected thinner-bezel design of Apple's fifth-gen iPad

Design documents provided to AppleInsider show what case makers expect Apple's anticipated fifth-generation iPad will look like, with a thinner-bezel design matching the appearance of leaked components.

Case and cover manufacturers are said to be using the data included in the above image, which shows a fifth-generation iPad with much thinner side bezels than its predecessor.

The image suggests the next iPad will measure exactly 169.48 millimeters wide, shaving more than 15 millimeters off the width of the fourth-generation iPad.

The document also shows that the height of the device has been slightly reduced, from 241.3 millimeters in the current model to 240 millimeters in the alleged next-generation version.

Thickness of the next iPad is also expected to be reduced, going from 9.55 millimeters to 7.5 millimeters, the document claims. The image also shows a revised body design akin to the iPad mini, which debuted last year.

Aside from those changes, the new iPad is expected to be lighter than its predecessor, helping to make the 9.7-inch tablet more portable. But the main elements of the device, including the home button, forward-facing FaceTime camera, lock button, and the location of the headphone jack and microphone on top of the device are all expected to stay largely the same.

The design matches up with a plethora of leaked components that have appeared throughout 2013, also suggesting that Apple plans to make its next full-size iPad look like a bigger iPad mini. More recent parts have given evidence that Apple plans to adopt its new "space gray" shade, found with the iPhone 5s and recent iPods, to the fifth-generation iPad.

Apple is expected to hold a media event in October where the company will introduce both the fifth-generation full-size iPad, as well as a new second-generation iPad mini. That would follow last year's release schedule, when the company launched the first iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad in time for the holiday shopping season.


Data source: via AppleInsider (By Neil Hughes)