The rumor mill for the next-generation iPad is abuzz that the purported 9.7-inch iPad will have G/F2 touchscreen making the tablet thinner and lighter.

The fourth-generation iPad uses glass-on-glass touchscreen technology. However, Apple employs the G/F2 (DITO) thin-film touchscreen technology in its iPad mini, which gives the tablet a sleek look.

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"Apple's current 9.7-inch iPad models use a G/G touch screen structure. The sources said Apple's move to use DITO technology shows the company is looking to bump up its competition in the tablet segment and that it has more adequate supply to the technology compared to one-glass-solution (OGS) technology," reported DigiTimes.

In the current market, consumers want a fast tablet along with a sleek design. Even though Apple holds a major chunk in the tablet space, a thinner and lighter tablet may attract more customers. This is not the first time that rumors for a thinner iPad have emerged. Previously, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities also suggested that Apple may use the G/F2 touchscreen technology in the next-generation iPad.

"Though the iPad mini is expected to be successful, we think launching the lighter, thinner 9.7" iPad as quickly as possible matters more for Apple strategically," and Apple is expected to "dramatically lower the weight and thickness of the 9.7" iPad," said Kuo at the time.

Additionally, DigiTimes also cited sources and reported that Taiwan-based TPK will be responsible for the device's lamination while LG Display (LGD) and Sharp will provide panels for the iPad 5.

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