According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple's suppliers are preparing the next-generation iPad for mass production and will use the same touch panel technology as the iPad min to make reductions in weight and size.
Related: iPad 5, iPad Mini 2 Release Date News: Features, Prices and Rumor Roundup [VIDEO]
The Wall Street Journal reports:
The same touch-panel technology that made the iPad mini thin and light will likely feature in the next iPad, which is currently being produced by Apple Inc.'s Asian suppliers, according to people with knowledge of the matter. What many consumers generally call a "screen" consists of multiple layers, and the "touch panel" specifically refers to the layer equipped with touch sensors, between the liquid-crystal display and the outermost cover glass. The iPad mini, according to a teardown report by research firm IHS iSuppli, uses a film-based touch panel, which is thinner and lighter than the glass-based touch panel that the current full-size model uses. Following the iPad mini's success, Apple plans to use the film-based touch panel in its next regular-size iPad, the people said."
Related: iPad 5 Release Date Rumors: Leaked Photos Reveal Rear Shell And Specs [PHOTOS & VIDEO]
A number of photos leaked earlier this month claiming to be parts of the front panel and digitizer to the fifth-generation iPad. The images came shortly after a video also showed the same front panel and back shell for the next iPad.
Both photos and videos leaked show a full-sized iPad that is notably reduced in size when compared to the current generation iPad. If this new report from WSJ is true, it would fall in line with all the reports circulating about a new slimmer iPad.
Related: Nexus 7 Vs. iPad Mini: Which Device Should You Buy? [PHOTOS AND VIDEO]
Apple is expected to introduce the fifth-generation iPad next month with an updated iPad mini to follow.
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