Apple is expected to register a giant surge by third quarter this year mainly due to the upcoming release date of its iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2, a new report said.

Yet before zooming up, the tech giant will have to bear the brunt of a declining shipment numbers for its flagship slate, which according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-chi Kuo will dip to around 15 million units by the end of June.

Apple's iPad shipment will retreat by 40 per cent coming from what the company has recorded in March 2013, delivering what Mr Kuo termed as the first disappointing iPad numbers for the tech giant since the tablet was first introduced.

While rivals are definitely catching up, with Samsung for instance gaining 283 per cent on overall tablet market share since last year, the biggest 'nemesis' of present iPad models are the new editions to come out this year.

Reports of a slimmed down iPad 5 plus the belief that Retina is finally coming to the iPad Mini 2 have slowed down the Q2 2013 tablet sales projection of Apple, Mr Kuo said, which partly could prod the tech titan to release the fresh models much earlier than estimated.

Should Apple opt for an August release date, for example, it is almost a given that iPad sales will spike up in the following month, quickly allowing the company to recover whatever grounds it lost by the end of September, the KGI analyst said.

The two tablets have generated sufficient excitement among global consumers thanks to the upgrades that reports said will be packaged with the rollout this year.

The fifth-generation iPad for one is said to have undergone a major redesign, borrowing much of the iPad Mini profile to regain buyers' interest and resume its role as Apple's number one tablet seller.

Analysts believe Apple is coming up with a thinner, lighter and slimmer iPad while retaining the 9.7-inch screen size.

The iPad Mini 2, on the other hand, will reportedly sport a Retina 7.9-inch screen display but will gain bits of heft to accommodate a panel that doubles its screen resolution, experts said.