With the start of a new year, starts a whole new series of rumors related to upcoming Apple products to be released that year.

This year the most talked about products are iPhone 6/5S and the fifth generation iPad or iPad 5. Here is another dose of rumors related to iPad 5, and this time it is about the release date of the tablet.

According to a report from Japanese site, Macotakar, the iPad 5 (fifth generation) might come in market by March this year. Though there is no official statement about the release date of the device so far, the site claims to be quoting 'inside sources.'

Earlier there were reports that Apple will change its product release cycle because of the increasing competition from Samsung and other companies. Going by the reports, it seems, the Cupertino-based company had done it as it released its last product in October 2012 only.

The March release of iPad 5 will give only five months window between the two product launches.

Past rumors had suggested that the next generation iPad might arrive in the second quarter of 2013.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities in an interview with Apple Insider in October 2012 at the time of iPad mini's launch had said that he thinks Apple may feel pressure from Microsoft's new Surface tablet, especially considering that the fourth-generation iPad is of the same weight and thickness as the third-generation model.
"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," Kuo had explained.

Kuo expected Apple to put GF2 touchscreen technology into the iPad 5. GF2 is already used in the iPad mini, which helps to make it 23 per cent thinner and 53 per cent lighter than the iPad 2.

In December 2012, Peter Misek, analyst of Jefferies had predicted iPad 5 launch in June.

"As for a fifth-generation iPad, Misek sees the updated hardware launching in June with an IGZO screen. He expects the new model will be half as thick as the current option, with 'significantly' reduced weight," Apple Insider had reported.