Apple may use the iPad mini’s touchscreen tech to make the next-gen iPad even lighter and thinner

According to a new report from Digitimes, the next-generation 9.7-inch iPad will be equipped with the same “G/F2 (DITO) thin-film type” touchscreen technology as the iPad mini. Apple (AAPL) currently uses a glass-on-glass touchscreen in its iPad models, however the switch to G/F2 technology will reportedly allow the fifth-generation iPad to be thinner and lighter. Digitimes notes that Apple’s move to DITO technology shows that the company is “looking to bump up its competition in the tablet segment,” adding that it is also expected to have a “more adequate supply” to the technology compared to the one-glass-solution technology Apple was said to be exploring. Recent reports have suggested that Apple will release a new iPad and iPad mini in March.