There was a mad scramble all across the globe when tech giant Apple brought out their third generation tablet - the new iPad. The Retina display-packed device became a hot seller, with hundreds of Apple fans lining up at stores and buying online the 4G-ready tablet.

And, despite the new tablet being heavier, thicker and slower to charge than its predecessor, the iPad 2, the new iPad dominated tablet sales in the U.S. and the UK, outpacing rivals such as Samsung Galaxy Tab and Asus Transformer Prime.

More surprisingly, even though the new iPad launched in March, rumors about the popular Apple tablet refuses to die. The latest buzz is that Apple is all geared up to release an upgraded iPad, that too, this summer itself. The news has been circulated by trade publication DigiTimes, which has had a massive hit or miss record when it comes to Apple rumors.

DigiTimes, citing Chinese-language publication Apple Daily, reported that an upgraded 9.7-inch iPad will be released this summer. The new tablet is expected to feature indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) panel technology to allow the device to feature an even thinner design and longer battery life. Panel supply will be shifted from Samsung to Sharp, the site noted.

Honestly, it seems far too soon for Apple to be upgrading the new iPad, so this rumor seems a bit doubtful, to say the least. But there just might be a shred of truth in this rumor, as prior to the launch of the new iPad, it was heavily rumored that Apple's next iPad will feature Sharp's IGZO panels. However it didn't happen because Sharp's panels were not up to the mark in terms of quality, although they were reportedly thinner and lighter than the current touch panels.

Currently, 60-70 percent of current iPad panels are supplied by Samsung, with the rest supplied by LG Display and Sharp. But with Apple's manufacturing partner, Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) recently making investments in Sharp, the Japanese tech major is expected to see its proportion of supply rise to 50 percent for the upgraded iPad, said the report.

iPad Mini?

DigiTimes' report has given rise (once again) to buzz that iPad Mini - the rumored 7-inch Apple tablet - could soon become a reality.

This alleged 7-inch tablet is supposed to symbolize Apple's foray into entry-level tablet market, which is dominated by Amazon's Kindle Fire. Incidentally, earlier this week at the annual I/O developer's conference, Google unveiled a 7-inch Jelly Bean-powered 7-inch tablet called Google Nexus 7, which will be released in the market in mid-July. Hence, thre's a possibility that to compete with Google (and to make certain that the search engine giant goes not get the early launch advantage), Apple may release iPad Mini this summer. And, it might feature IGZO panels and can be thinner and lighter than any other tablet in its class (provided Sharp matches up Apple's stringent quality requirements).

As usual, Apple refuses to comment on any rumors.