New iPad Mini to debut this year: report

NPD Display Search reports that manufacturing and development are back on track and that a second generation iPad Mini, this time with a 300ppi+ display will be ready to launch in time for the holiday season.

The upgrade will bring the small tablet in line with Apple's iPhone 5 and latest full-size iPad, both of which feature Retina displays as well as its 13-inch and 15-inch Pro notebooks.

However, NPD has also revealed that yet another new model could follow the refreshed iPad Mini before next spring. 'We see two refreshes coming. One [with a Retina display] in the second half of this year, then one in Q1 [first quarter] of 2014,' analyst Richard Shim told CNET.

Other sources claiming to be familiar with Apple's supply chain have suggested that the second refresh would include an internal specifications overhaul, adding a more powerful chipset, while the first is designed to bring the product in line with those from its closest direct competitors, namely Google's Nexus 7, Amazon's Kindle Fire HD and of course Samsung.

Rumous and leaks often turn out to be less than accurate but Apple has previous experience in this respect. The latest version of the full-sized iPad was launched less than six months after the previous generation had debuted, enraging many consumers and leading to Apple offering vouchers or even refunds as a way of an apology.