Apple has started offering lower prices for its soon-to-exit gadget models, prompting speculations that the tech giant could suddenly spring a surprise - earlier release dates for the iPhone 5S, the iPad Mini 2, the iPad 5 and even the iPhone 6.

Apple's online store is selling refurbished iPad 4s and iPad Minis, in which buyers can get discounts by as much as 17 per cent from the original price mark, according to reports by MacRumors.

Note that the units slapped with the price mark downs are pre-owned but Apple has ensured that they look and function like the iPads freshly rolled out of Foxconn's production lines. Refurbished for the tech giant means all the products are installed with new batteries, packed anew and extended with a 12-month warranty from date of purchase.

Before heading out, of course, from Apple's custody, these iPads were subjected to rigid testing and re-certification.

The assurance is, consumers' good money will get the high-quality they paid for, Apple said.

In the sales promo, the iPad Mini with Wi-Fi only and 16GB of internal memory now sells for only $US279 or about 15 per cent from the original price. The 64GB Mini now goes out for only $US439, with Apple giving out a 17 per cent cut from the sticker price of the brand new counterpart.

The regular fourth-gen iPad, on the other hand, now retails for as low as $US419, which is 16GB Wi-Fi make while the most expensive is the 64GB Wi-Fi, up for grabs for $US579, still getting a 17 per cent price slash.

The Apple deals was followed this week by Best Buy's tie up with key U.S. telcos that pushed down iPhone 5's starting price far below the normal level of $US199, which is packaged with a two-year lock-in period.

The gadget price offs are seen by many as the strongest signal that Apple has commenced the preparation for the global rollout of its 2013 smartphone and tablet line up.

While hopes among Apple fans remain high that the issuance will come a bit earlier than pegged by analysts, all new iOS products will not be unveiled until late September or early October.

The iPhone 5S, for one, is scheduled to touchdown by fall, according to reports, and it will be accompanied by the rumoured budget iPhone 5. Both models will come in numerous colour options plus faster processor.

Immediately after that launch, the iPad 5 and the iPad Mini 2 will make their way to store shelves, analysts said. Much awaited features are the slimmer build of the 9.7-inich iPad and the deployment of Retina with the Mini 2.

The iPhone 6 will not arrive until June next year but on D-Day the phablet is seen to wow the tech world with an innovative redesign plus the powerful features that the iOS 7 will deliver.