iPad 5 Photos Allegedly Show Secret to a Thinner iPad

The iPad 5 launch may not come until October, but leaks continue to show us what to expect when it comes to a new iPad design.

This morning a set of photos which are reportedly of the iPad 5 front panel arrive offering a look at incredibly thin bezels and an iPad mini inspired design that should make for a more portable iPad this fall.

Apple is allegedly undertaking the third redesign of the iPad since it launched. The new design is an effort to update the larger iPad 5 to better compete not with Android tablets, but with the iPad mini which reportedly stole some iPad sales thanks to a smaller, lighter design and cheaper entry-level price.

Read: iPhone 5S and iPad 5: Breaking Up Is Hard to Do

On the heels of possible iPad mini 2 photos, we get a look at new iPad 5 photos from Sonny Dickson. Dickson is a well-known source for Apple leaks, who previously shared images for the iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C and other Apple devices.

The latest iPad 5 rumors suggest the iPad 5 will be as much as 20% thinner, thanks in part to new screen technology that incorporates the touch panel into the front panel.

Apple’s iPad 5 could also be as much as 25% lighter when it arrives to consumers. This would aid the new design in offering a more attractive 10-inch tablet option when compared to the iPad mini.

The photos show what Dickson claims is the iPad 5 front panel. We’ve seen similar photos before, but these offer a better look at the thinner bezels which will help Apple’s new design shrink in width.

The photos also show a collection of connectors and a close up of the opening for the home button on the iPad 5. There is talk of a fingerprint sensor in the home button of the iPhone 5S, but we’ve yet to hear if this new technology will also come to the iPad 5 or iPad mini 2. It could take Apple a year on the iPhone before it arrives on an iPad.

The iPad 5 should use the same high-resolution Retina Display that is found on the iPad 4, and the iPad mini 2 could also see an upgrade to Retina this year or in early 2014 according to rumors.

Apple is planning an event for September 10th according to multiple sources, but we don’t expect to see the iPad there. Look for an iPad event in October with the iPad 5 and iPad mini 2 as the main focus. The iOS 7 for iPad release may not arrive until the iPad 5 and iPad mini 2 event.