The chance is very slim that Apple will issue the iPad Mini 2 with Retina in the second half of 2013. The focus will be, according to one analyst, on iPad 5's release date, which likely will occur first week of September.

Those waiting out for the second-generation iPad Mini will be out of luck, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-chi Kuo, as the iOS small tablet will be likely excluded from Apple's 2013 lineup.

The device, Mr Kuo said, will not be out until the second quarter of 2014. Its debut should happen by April on the same year or even March in the event Apple engineers are able to resolve the production issues besetting the slate.

Chief of the problems is finding the suitable battery for the Mini 2, which when fitted with Retina panel will quickly eat up most of its energy juice given the battery rating to be deployed is the same as the one used in the first edition.

With its structure based on a 7.9-inch screen size, Apple is facing quite a challenge in coming with the right battery formula for the Mini 2 - compact but long lasting. And it will require two more quarters for the puzzle to be completed, Mr Kuo said.

The tech giant, however, is pushing out the next best thing - the redesigned iPad 5, which retains its tablet screen size of 9.7-inch but sheds considerable weight and thickness, the latest KGI note said.

And as if to compensate for the disappointment of the iPad Mini 2 skipping out the 2013 altogether, Apple will likely launch its fifth-generation large-screen tablet. Target release date should be the first week of September this year, Mr Kuo predicted.

It will be rolled out alongside the so-called iPhone Lite, which represents Apple's spirited push to capture more grounds in emerging markets - traditionally the playground of the company's closest rival, Samsung.

As for the possibility that Apple will introduce a Mini 2 that is slightly updated - faster processor but minus Retina, "we think Apple is unlikely to launch the product this year," Mr Kuo was reported by MacRumors as saying.

A cheaper Mini 2 is not economically viable for Apple, the analyst said, adding that in order to realise profits, the company will have to retail each unit with a tag price that is higher than the first version's starting mark of $329.

Such move will only make the iPad Mini 2 unattractive to tablet shoppers, giving it less muscle to compete with the likes of Google Nexus 7 2 and Samsung's Galaxy Tab 3 series, Mr Kuo said.