Is this the front of the White iPad 5?

A new photo  shows what may be the front panel for a white iPad 5 — offering a closer look at a thinner bezel that mirrors the iPad mini’s design.

Yesterday we heard that the iPad 5 production is reportedly planned to kick off this summer, but an alleged photo of an iPad 5 front panel may point to a faster production schedule and a swifter release.

Apple is working on a new iPad, and rumors point to a device that looks like the iPad mini, but with the Retina Display of the iPad 4 tucked inside the slimmer shell. We’ve already spotted leaks of a possible iPad 5 back and an iPad mini 2 back and now we may be looking at the front of the iPad 5.

Read: iPad 5 Release & Rumor Roundup

This morning a new photo arrives from Nowhereelse.fr, which shows a White iPad bezel that is reportedly for the iPad 5. The photo below shows what the front of the White iPad 5 might look like.

The bezel matches up with recent rumors. The smaller side bezels will allow Apple to deliver a slightly smaller iPad 5, which helps the larger tablet stay relevant in a market with a more portable iPad mini. The size and design appears to match up with the alleged iPad 5 back panel leak from earlier this year.

This bezel reportedly comes from a mole in the Chinese supply chain, and Nowehereelse.fr claims it is poof that iPad 5 production is underway, and will ramp up quickly in the coming weeks.

The photos show what could arguably be an iPad mini front panel, but the person holding the panel would then have very small hands, which makes it more likely that this is an adult holding an iPad 5 front panel. The Panel appears to feature glass built-in.

If this is the case, the panel is more than just the front of the iPad 5, it’s the touch controller. Supply chain sources claim Taiwan supplier TPK is working on thin-film DITO (G/F2) touch panels for the iPad 5, and expects a large ramp up in production in Q3 2013. This leak may come from someone inside this company.

The video below shows the iPad mini, which uses the same type of display technology. Even with the touch panel off of the iPad display it still functions.

The iPad 5 is rumored as a full redesign of the iPad and could offer up an iPad that is thinner and lighter than the iPad 4. The iPad 4 arrived in October 2012 with a similar look to the iPad 3, but a new Lightning connector.

Apple’s release cycle is up in the air, and there are currently rumors of an iPad 5 launch event for April, June and all of Q3 2013. A late summer or early fall release looks more likely based on the latest details.