Rumors regarding the next-generation iPad 5, which is expected to hit shelves in September this year, are gaining traction as the purported launch date nears. A recent addition to the iPad 5 rumor mill is that the tablet will have a rear mic hole.

Apple launched the iPad 4 and the iPad mini in Oct. 2012. Apart from a faster processor, the iPad 4 did not bring along more changes to the design of the tablet. However, the smaller iPad mini replicated some aspects of the full-sized iPad's design. But the iPad mini also bought thinner bezels to the tablet.

Apple Insider cites Japanese website Makotakara and reports "The next 9.7-inch iPad will gain a rear microphone next to the camera, much like Apple added to the iPhone 5 in 2012. The report noted that prototypes of the iPad mini also included rear microphones, but were not included in the final shipping product introduced last October."

Various rumors hint that the next-gen iPad 5 will now adopt some design elements from the iPad mini. The iPad 5 is expected to include a thinner bezel around the screen and more rounded edges just like the iPad mini. The changes are expected to make the device 25 percent lighter and 15 percent thinner than its predecessor.

A KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said "We think the tablet will, at 7.5-8.0mm, be 15% thinner than iPad 4. The new device will likely be about 500 grams, or some 25% lighter than iPad 4, run on an A7X processor, and sport cameras with similar specs to the iPad 4's (front HD, rear 5MP). The casing shape and color (silver and black) and narrow bezel design will be similar to the iPad mini's"

Apple has not announced anything about the upcoming iPad, so it will be interesting to see what new features and design elements the tablet gets.