Apple’s Pipeline: Flush with iPads

In the absence of any whispers regarding a new category-defining product from Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) — as the iPod and the iPhone were when first released — analysts have only been able to predict when the company will unveil the next generation of the iPad and iPhone. Given Apple’s penchant for regularity, the practice of predicting the cycle of product releases has become somewhat of a science rather than an act of divination. Analysts also closely examine the supply channels of the current device for indications that Apple is limiting production to prepare for a new model.

But while these signs are strong indicators, predictions are, after all, only an estimate of the future plans of the company. Prior to 2012, Apple updated the iPad on an every year, but that changed when the company launched the fourth-generation iPad approximately six months after the third-generation model debuted, which changed how analysts monitored product updates.

Yet, despite the possibility of a complete miss, these forecasts have a significant effect on how investors judge the profitability of Apple, and as always, the latest round of forecasts are carefully analyzed.

A new report claims that Apple is preparing to launch a second-generation iPad mini with Retina display in the third calendar quarter of this year, according to AppleInsider, which cited CNYes…