April may not be the cruelest month for iPad fans this year. Unnamed sources have told iMore’s Rene Ritchie that Apple (AAPL) plans to release the next iPad as soon as this April, which will presumably include both the fifth-generation 9.7-inch iPad and perhaps the second-generation iPad mini. Ritchie says that while he’s fairly confident that Apple will launch a redesigned version of the 9.7-inch iPad next month, he’s not as confident that Apple is yet ready to take the wraps off a Retina-equipped version of the iPad mini.
“Retina for the iPad mini, however, still doesn’t sound imminent,” Ritchie writes. “Apple is not going to release iPads that costs [sic] more or don’t get as good battery life as the current models. So, if the next iPad mini does end up getting slated for April, it could be a spec bump, or have something other than Retina as a differentiator.”
Ritchie’s sources also say that the company plans to release the iPhone 5S by this August at the latest. Ritchie confirms that the newest iPhone will have the same basic design as the iPhone 5 and will feature “a more advanced processor and an improved camera.” Ritchie makes no mention in his report of whether Apple also plans to release either a cheaper version of the iPhone or a larger “iPhablet” at any point this year.
