Everyone's waiting for the release of Apple's newest flagship tablet and if rumors are true, the iPad 5 might come knocking by autumn of this year.

International Business Times reports that the 9.7-inch fifth generation tablet will be launched after the rumored late September release of iPhone 5S -- which is well around October. The report also notes that the iPad Mini 2 will also be launched together with its full-sized counterpart.

There has been much speculation about the iPad 5's release date, with some suggesting it could be out next spring or even summer. A quick look at the iPad 5's predecessors might tempt one to make such conclusions, since the iPad, iPad 2 and iPad 3 were released in May 2010, March 2011 and March 2012, respectively. However, Apple caught everyone by surprise when it debuted the iPad 4 and iPad Mini in November of last year. iLounge editor-in-chief Jeremy Horwitz also sees a possible release date along these lines, mentioning an October release in his blog update.

According to Horwitz, the iPad 5 will be "thinner" compared to its predecessors and will be "smaller in every dimension." Based on a physical model he claims to be inspecting, the tablet will have a 9.7-inch screen with limited space above and below the screen for the camera and the Home button. Also, the tablet does not have left or right bezels.

However, in a contrasting report by Trusted Reviews, leaked images show slimmer right and left bezels while the top and the bottom panels seem to be the same size as the fourth generation iPad.

The iPad 5 will also be more energy efficient -- consuming less power while improving screen quality, says Korea IT News. By sporting Sharp's Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO) display technology, the tablet will allow for displays of up to 500 PPI -- almost double the pixel density of the fourth generation iPad's 264 PPI Retina display. IGZO also allows for increased battery life with its ability to "display an image on the screen even after power has been switched off," greatly reducing the needed power of the screen.

According to Tech Radar, the fifth generation iPad will cost around $499 for the WiFi-only 16GB version, $599 for the 32GB, $699 for the 64GB and $799 for the 128GB tablet.

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