Apple seen prepping refreshed iPads, including gold model - Investor's Business Daily

With Apple (AAPL) losing ground in tablets to Android devices, a rumored refresh of Apple's iPad lineup is looking more critical for the company that defined the category.

Analysts predict that Apple will come out with a fifth-generation iPad and a second-generation iPad Mini at an event in October. Apple has not yet announced any upcoming product launch events.

As with the recently launched iPhone 5S and 5C, photos and videos are leaking out showing components of next-generation iPads.

Chinese parts supplier Sw-box.com has posted a video and photos of the upcoming slate-gray enclosure for the iPad 5, which appears to be thinner and lighter than the current model.

The new iPads could borrow the fingerprint sensor security feature, known as Touch ID, from the iPhone 5S, Geek.com speculated Monday. It also could borrow design elements from the high-end smartphone including colors gray, silver and gold.

The gold iPad is likely to draw the same criticism as the gold iPhone 5S. Some people thought the gold color was gaudy and lacked class. Images of a gold iPad Mini have posted online, 9to5Mac reported.

In addition to being thinner, the fifth-generation iPad is believed to be shorter and narrower, with a smaller bezel, International Business Times reported.

ABI Research reported Friday that, during the second quarter, the number of Google (GOOG) Android-powered tablets surpassed Apple iPads for the first time.

Android vendors sold 30.5 million tablets in the June quarter, compared with 14.5 million for Apple, PhoneArena.com reported.

Overall tablet shipments rose 23% year over year in Q2, ABI said. Tablet revenue in the second quarter reached $12.7 billion worldwide, with Apple's share slipping to 50%, the research firm said.

"A shift in leadership is now upon the tablet mobile computing market," ABI said, noting that Apple "has passed the baton to the Android ecosystem."

Related: Dell bails on Windows RT tablets; Microsoft lone supporter.

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