New image renders of the fifth generation iPad suggest Apple is trimming down on the overall size and heft of the upcoming slate without touching its original screen size of 9.7 inches.

According to MacRumors, Apple will release a lighter and smaller iPad but the design tweaks employed by Apple engineers allowed them to retain the screen specs previously approved by Steve Jobs.

MacRumors's 'extrapolated dimensions' kept up with the earlier iPad 5 renditions provided by Macotakara, which predicted that the new tablet "would be 4mm shorter and 17mm narrower than the existing design."

By the time it is released, the original iPad would have shed significant weight and dimensions, and will likely assume the look that lured millions of consumers to the iPad Mini.

"The fifth-generation iPad is said to adopt nearly identical styling to the iPad Mini, with photos showing a similarly anodized rear shell and reports claiming that it will include the same chamfered edges as on its smaller sibling," MacRumors said on its report.

Apple's adjustment makes sense considering that its smaller sibling has been outpacing the regular iPad in the sales department, with many tech experts insisting that in due time the iPad Mini will likely push its predecessor to near extinction.

While Apple is not exactly relishing such idea, it is acknowledging that the iPad Mini embodies a winning formula so why not apply some of the specs to the 9.7-inch iPad, some analysts offered.

The revamp will, of course, require lots of rework inside the iPad guts, which suggests that we will not be holding the iPad 5 anytime soon, definitely not this March, MacRumors said.

"Apple has been rumoured to be adopting new display technology that will allow for a thinner display and perhaps a smaller battery, and other components such as the main system-on-a-chip are also likely to see upgrades and rearrangements as part of the significant revamp of its full-size iPad," the Apple-centric tech blog site said on its report.

The best bet for a realistic iPad release this year is between September and October, knowing Apple's insistence of putting together near-perfect products prior to actual launch date, MacRumors stressed.