Apple iPad 5 Release Date Nears: Next-Gen iPad Gets Evaluated In Video; It Looks Shorter, Thinner And Lighter

Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) fifth-generation iPad, dubbed the iPad 5, is the next major product release expected from the company this year, and if a new video evaluating the device is to be believed, it will be much thinner and lighter, and could be closer to the iPad mini in form than to its predecessor.

Sw-box.com, a Chinese parts supplier, claimed to have obtained a 9.7-inch iPad 5 unit and compared the device to the existing iPad 4 and the iPad mini side-by-side in a detailed demonstration video and a set of photos.

The video, which detailed the physical differences between the iPad 4 and the iPad 5, showed that the upcoming version of Apple’s flagship tablet will feature a form factor very similar to the current version of the iPad mini.

According to the description in the video, the iPad 5 will be 9.4 inches (239.2mm) tall and 6.6 inches (169.5mm) wide, making it shorter and narrower than the iPad 4, which is 9.5 inches (241.2mm) tall and 7.3 inches (185.7mm) wide. In addition, the iPad 4's is 0.37 inches (9.4mm) thick while the iPad 5 is 0.28 inches (7.2mm) thick.

There are other modifications to the iPad 5, which replicate the iPad mini design. For instance, the new iPad sports the same rounded edges as its smaller counterpart, and its volume rocker is divided into two separate buttons.

But, there seems to be one noticeable difference between the iPad 5 and iPad mini as the former apparently has a second microphone hole at the top of the cover, while the existing iPad mini lacks this feature. It is, however, not clear whether the iPad mini 2 will feature a similar architecture.

Sw-box.com is also selling an iPad 5 metal aluminum back cover in grey, complete with all the measurements. The iPad 5 design, shown in the video and in the photos, is similar to what Australian blogger Sonny Dickson leaked last week.

According to earlier reports, Apple may hold a media event on Oct. 15 to unveil the iPad 5.

While the company was previously believed to introduce the iPad 5 and the iPad mini 2 together, one report from last week suggested that both tablets may not be launched at the same time and that the shipment of the smaller version would likely happen early next year.