Apple just announced the iPad Mini along with an unexpected 4th Generation iPad yesterday, to the horror of customers who thought their iPad 3′s would stay top dog for a little while longer. Despite the iPad’s early update analysts are already predicting that Apple is (or should be) rushing to put out a thinner and lighter 9.7″ tablet as soon as possible.

How much faster can the iPad‘s release cycle get?

At least, that’s the view of KGI securities’ analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via AppleInsider), “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.”

I find it a little odd that Kuo cites competition with Microsoft’s Surface tablet as the reason why Apple needs to pursue a thinner and lighter iPad, considering that the Windows RT version of the surface tablet will weigh at least 20 grams more than the iPad. That said, a recent DigiTimes article mentions that Apple has been looking into ‘GF Dito’ touch screen technology, which would allow for iPads in particular to be “substantially thinner and lighter than current GG (glass-on-glass) touch screen technology.”

If the technology is already in the iPad Mini, a design revision for the full-size iPad is inevitable.

According to AppleInsider’s article, Apple is “said to” already be employing the technology in the iPad Mini, which helped it be 23% thinner and 53% lighter than the full-size iPad (though we’d imagine the smaller form factor helped it cut down much of its weight). If this is the case, it’s likely that the next iPad will take advantage of the same technology.

Do you think that we’ll see a 5th generation 9.7″ iPad very soon? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.