It seems that consumers may have to wait longer to the highly anticipated iPad Mini 2 as report claimed production delay.

A report from Taiwanese tech blog DigiTimes, Apple plans a separate launch in fourth quarter of this year. The report said the production of iPad Mini 2 was delayed until November.

The source suggests Apple may have deliberately delayed the iPad Mini 2 in order to ensure it does not negatively impact sales of the full-size iPad 5. The report claims Apple has 'turned its product focus for 2013 to the new 9.7-inch iPad.' To us this sounds a bit daft.

An alternative hypothesis presented by the report believes there are supply chain issues in meeting demand. The iPad Mini 2 will reportedly arrive in the fourth quarter and shipping will commence ahead of Christmas.

iPad 5, on the other hand, is reported to come earlier than its miniature version. The full-sized tablet is expected to come on the third quarter of the year. It is speculated that the separate launches ensure that the devices will not affect the sales of each.

According to rumours, iPad Mini 2 is speculated to feature a screen with a resolution of 2048 x 1536. This is almost four times the resolution of the present iPad Mini and is equal to the fourth generation iPad which was released along with the iPad Mini last year. AU Optronics has been rumoured to be making displays for the iPad Mini 2.

Other specs include a more powerful dual core A7 processor and a 7.9 inch screen. It will also feature a 10-hour battery life, a FaceTime HD camera, and an iSight camera with 1080 pixels HD video recording. Apple is also trying to reduce the thickness of the iPad Mini 2 by using the Sharp's IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) technology in its screens.

The iPad 5, on the other hand, is rumoured to have no bezels, and the whole form factor has been made sleeker. Horowitz believes this design indicates that Apple will be calling on Sharp's IGZO screen technology. Sharp, however, according to Horowitz, has been struggling, and its ability to deliver components on time will play a key role in the release of the next iPad.

However, the Cupertino-based company offers no official comment on the aforementioned rumours.