by Praem Rambharak
WITH the new iPhone 5s and 5c handsets out, tech gurus have turned their attention to another of Apple’s flagship products: The iPad. Now, what in the world does Apple CEO, Tim Cook, have up his sleeve?Rumour has it that Apple is set unveil the new fifth-generation iPad at an event this Tuesday. But, so far, nothing, not even the date, has been confirmed by Apple. But the absence of any information from Apple doesn’t mean that we can’t make some educated guesses as to what the new iPad will bring.
The name
The first mystery is the name. The new iPad? iPad 5? iPad 5x? iPad 5s? For now, let’s just call it the iPad5.
Over the past few incarnations, Apple has dropped the numeral from the name, but that makes it hard to differentiate the old new iPad from the new, new iPad.
The announcement of the iPad 4 during Apple’s October 2012 event came as a surprise to many, but we’re nailed on to see another iteration of the Cupertino brand’s top-end tablet.
Invites have been sent out for an October 22 event, where we’ll be certain to see an iPad 5 and an iPad mini 2. But what will it actually look like?
Now that the iPad 5 launch has been all but confirmed, thanks to an invite to a ‘mystery Apple event’, where the company states it still has a “lot more to cover,” what could that mean for the new iPad?
In terms of a release date, I’m thinking it will be around November 1, falling, as is traditionally done, at around 10 days after the announcement.

iPad 5 features and specifications
Apple gave the iPad 4 a new A6X processor system-on-a-chip, which it claims is twice as fast as the previous iPad. It also gained the new lightning connector, and better LTE support. But that’s all the new features iPad fans got with the fourth-gen tablet!
The iPad 5 will have Apple’s most powerful chip yet. And, considering the current iPad is the same weight, thickness and price point as its predecessor, it’s very possible Apple is looking to produce a slimmed-down version.
We’ve also seen that it could be lighter, through the removal of one of the LED light bars to power the screen’s brightness, which would mean less power needed, and a smaller battery.
The iPad case designs that were subsequently leaked in February and April suggest that this claim could be spot-on. The other big thought is that the new iPad 5 will need to be lighter, to match up to the likes of the Sony Xperia Tablet Z, which is currently my favourite.
To this end, analysts and supply chain sources believe the battery reduction and improved manufacturing processes will see a 15% thinner iPad, and one that’s between 25% and 33% thinner than the current model, taking it under 500g.

iPad 5 design
What I think is that the iPad 5 will feature a thinner bezel to make it look more like the mini, taking it into new territory, thanks to the contraction of internal components.
Some techies suggest that the iPad 5 will be 7.2mm thick, slimming down from the current-generation’s 9.4mm.

iPad 5 display
The new iPad 5 could pack all new display technology when it launches, using “GF DITO” (or GF2) touchscreen tech to make it 23 percent thinner and 53 percent lighter than its bigger brother.

iPad 5 processor
As I mentioned earlier, the new A7 chip is a cert to be used in the new iPad 5, if not an upgraded version that’s designed for the larger tablet.

Other iPad 5 features
It’s possible that the new iPad will feature a vibrating mode for message alerts and haptic feedback (within games, for example). The iPad 5 might come with a stylus. The rationale for this is that the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and the Galaxy Note 10.1 both come with a stylus and Apple is in competition with Samsung.

iPad 5 case clues
It seems that case manufacturers believe that the iPad 5 will take its design cues from the iPad mini, being thinner than the current iPad, and with smaller side bezels.

Fingerprint sensor?
Will we see a fingerprint sensor in this home button hole?We know almost everything there is to know about Apple’s next-generation “iPad 5” tablet thanks to months of leaks and various solid reports, but the jury is still out on whether or not Apple’s new slate will feature an embedded Touch ID fingerprint scanner. Apple’s iPhone 5s, which helped Apple smash prior sales records when it debuted late last month, was the first iOS device to feature a scanner integrated into the home button. It also won’t be the last, of course, but it remains unclear when other Apple devices will follow suit. While some believe the addition of Touch ID to the iPad family won’t happen until next year, a new leak suggests it will happen next few days.

iPad 5 wireless charging?
Apple is looking into equipping its iPad Smart Covers with induction coils so that you’ll be able to charge your iPad simply by closing the cover.
The patent, called “Integrated inductive charging in protective cover,” talks of “an inductive power transmitter arranged to wirelessly pass power to a corresponding inductive power receiver unit disposed within the tablet device.”

iPad 5 accessories
The iPad 5 may launch with an official Apple gaming joy-pad if a report by Pocket Gamer is to be believed. Should this device exist, it could also launch alongside the rumored Apple iTV.

iPad 5 mockups
Federico Ciccarese of CiccareseDesign has produced some renders for MacRumors showing how the new iPad might look, with its smaller bezel allowing a shrunken case with the same screen size as the current iPad.
So, fellow Guyanese, all we have to do is wait and see what really comes with this new product. Ahhh! Technology! An increasingly ubiquitous life-changing, revolutionizing way of life!