(Photo :iPad)

As we have come to expect from Apple, iOS is incredibly smooth. Every task, simple or complex, is performed efficiently and intuitively, unlike the jerky lag of Android devices. Here's a comparison of iPad 5 and iPad 4

The Apple iPad 4 came as something of a surprise. Everyone was expecting an iPad Mini. The iPad 3 had only been out since March and already a replacement was released, annoying many iPad owners.

Comparisons:

Comparing the specs for the iPad 5 and the iPad 4, it's clear that this new model is more of a tweak than a brand-new product. It's a tweak that makes a lot of sense, when you look at what Apple's done with its other products. For starters, it means that its product line from the iPhone 5 to the new iPods, including the excellent iPod Touch, all use the same Lightning connector, rather than the old 30-pin Dock connector.

IPad 5: Release Date

Apple is expected to launch the iPad 5 around the middle of 2013, according to the Apple insiders at Digitimes. The site claimed that Apple's component manufacturers would reveal strong fiscal results during the first quarter of 2013, as a result of several recent high-profile launches which include the iPhone 5, iPad Mini and 4G-enabled iPad 4.

If rumors prove to be accurate, Apple could expect to fill its pockets even further with the launch of another new iPad, an iPad Mini 2 and at least one more iPhone device within 2013.

Reports from January placed a possible launch date as October 2013 and claimed the iPad 5 design would be very different from the iPad 4, being 'smaller' and with 'virtually no left or right bezel,' citing the iPad Mini as an inspiration.

Rumors emerged in February that Apple may be planning to launch the iPad 5 in the third quarter of 2013 and suggesting it might have a thinner bezel, yet again implying sharing some design elements with the iPad Mini to help reduce bulk.

The iPad 4 sports 4G connectivity, meaning it can run the superfast mobile broadband currently being offered by network operator EE (Everything Everywhere), as well as an A6X processor system-on-a-chip, which claims to be twice as fast as the last iPad. 

However, the iPad 5 is expected to boast better 4G-connectivity and will likely ship with an even faster chip than any of its predecessors.

It's also possible we'll see an update to the iOS Operating System software. It's known that Apple's design guru Jony Ive has been placed in charge of an overhaul project for the platform, which could see him bringing his flair for minimalist aesthetic to the now-tired interface.

Apple's services are also expected to receive a face-lift, including iTunes, while the company is apparently in talks with Beats Audio over a possible music streaming service.