An analyst speculated that the iPad 5 will be Apple's thinnest tablet.

AppleInsider reported Thursday that Apple will likely employ a modified LED backlight apparatus to make its next generation 9.7-inch tablet as thin and as light as possible. NPD DisplaySearch told CNET that the iPad 5 would shed grams and millimeters thanks to the redesigned LED backlight apparatus, and that update will make the display much more efficient.

NPD analyst Paul Semenza said that other modifications will help Apple's iPad shed thickness as well. "The other significant change that we feel is likely is a shift to a film-based touch sensor," he said.

However, it is still a mystery whether Apple will change the display technology. "It is not yet clear if there will be a big change to the display - such as using IGZO [indium gallium zinc oxide]," Semenza added. Rumors that the company would switch to that LCD technology have persisted since 2011; IGZO, developed by Sharp (SHCAY.PK), was expected to be used in the third generation Retina iPad, but it wasn't. In fact, rather than decreasing in size, the third- and fourth-generation iPads were thicker than the previous iterations primarily because of the new Retina technology.

Last week, leaked images of iPad 5 was published by the French site Nowhereelse claims to have the first look at the new iPad 5 tablet's new front-face design.

The purported photos showed that Apple's fifth-generation iPad may have notably smaller side bezels that reduce the tablet's overall mass while maintaining the same 9.7-inch screen size. The iPad 5 is said to be built in an anodized aluminum enclosure which has diamond-cut chamfered edges and an altered speaker design. A vast number of reports claim this iPad mini-like design is most likely what Apple plans to release in this year's full-size iPad.

According to sources, the iPad 5 will enter production sometime during July or August, presumably setting up a launch during late September or early October.

The iPad 5 is rumoured to have no bezels, and the whole form factor has been made sleeker. Horowitz believes this design indicates that Apple will be calling on Sharp's IGZO screen technology. Sharp, however, according to Horowitz, has been struggling, and its ability to deliver components on time will play a key role in the release of the next iPad.