Rumors pertaining to the iPhone 7 have been gathering momentum and, as eager Apple fans await the smartphone's arrival, they have yet another mobile device to look forward to: the iPad mini 5.
The iPad mini 5 is expected to stir things up when compared to its predecessor, the iPad mini 4, which was introduced in September 2015.
Like the previous iteration of the tablet, the iPad mini 5 is also rumored to sport the same 7.9-inch Retina display. However, the exterior of the tablet is improved as it will allegedly be deploying a 7000-series aluminum chassis. This will make the iPad mini 5 more robust and durable when compared to the iPad mini 4.
Moreover, Apple is also shaving off some millimeters and making the tablet more svelte. The iPad mini 5 is tipped to be 5mm thick, which makes it 1mm thinner than the iPad mini 4.
The iPad mini 5 is also anticipated to house the A9 processor, which will improve on the A8 processor on the predecessor, as well as an M9 motion co-processor. Apple is further expected to introduce the 3D Touch feature, which is already available on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
The iPad mini 5 is also rumored to benefit from Live Photos, a feature that drew considerable interest among Apple fans.
The iSight camera may have seen an upgrade in the older-gen tablet, but Apple is apparently thinking of sticking to 8 megapixels for the iPad mini 5. The FaceTime camera will also remain the same at 1.2 megapixels.
Apple fans can, however, look forward to the arrival of iOS 10 and possibly a waterproof iPad. The iPad mini 5 could potentially get IP68 certification, which would make it the first Apple tablet to be water resistant.
Speculations are rife that Apple could introduce the Apple Pencil — its stylus — for the 7.9-inch tablet. However, we can only envision this happening if the company opts for another 7.9-inch iPad Pro instead of the iPad mini 5.
Some reports have pointed to the iPad mini 5 having a smaller battery than its predecessor, as well as support for a Smart Connector port. The iPad mini 5 could also ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack like the iPhone 7 in favor of a D-jack.
The tablet's pricing is expected to follow the 2015 pricing model, which means the 16 GB variant will start at $399. Apple could add a Rose Gold option to the lineup of Gold, Space Gray and Silver. The company will likely stick to the 16 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB storage models for the iPad mini 5 as well.
As for the release date, Apple could quietly announce the iPad mini 5 along with the iPhone 7 as it did last year with the previous generation. Moreover, the tablet hit the shelves immediately rather than a week after, which was the previous norm. This suggests that the iPad mini 5 will release in September, immediately after its debut.
