It has been nearly two years since Apple refreshed its iPad mini lineup and iFans are eagerly anticipating the arrival of the next-gen 7.9-inch tablet.
Dubbed the iPad mini 5, the iPad mini 4's successor is rumored to be gearing up for a March release. However, it is believed that the next-gen tablet may be renamed and could sport the moniker iPad Pro mini instead.
Here's a look at what the iPad Pro mini or the iPad mini 5 is anticipated to bring users' way.
Display And Design
Rumors are rife, that like its predecessor, the iPad mini 5 shall also sport a 7.9-inch Retina display.
However, analysts like Ming-Chi Kuo have hinted at three iPad sizes - 9.7-inch, 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch. There is not mention of a 7.9-inch variant so it remains to be seen if the iPad Pro mini surprises consumers and analysts alike or not.
Apple is believed to be boosting the resolution for the iPad mini 5 and the tablet could also deploy an aluminium chassis. The material used will allegedly be the same deployed for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 7, which suggests that the iPad mini 5 will be quiet durable.
Apple will reportedly make the iPad mini 5 lighter and thinner than the predecessor. The tablet will apparently be 5mm thick, making it 1mm thinner than the iPad mini 4.
Processor And Memory
The upcoming iPad mini 5 will reportedly be powered by the A9 or A10 processor. It may also be equipped with a M9 co-processor, which supports motion tracking. The device may offer 3 GB of RAM.
Storage
The iPad mini 5 is anticipated to come in three storage options: 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB.
OS
Apple is currently testing iOS 10.3 beta and the tablet could come pre-loaded with the same and not iOS 11.
Camera
There are chances that Apple could stick to the 8MP primary camera and a 1.2MP front camera for the iPad mini 5.
Battery
It is rumored that the iPad mini 5 may house a smaller battery than the iPad mini 4 to compensate for the device's svelte for. However, this battery will deploy enhanced technology per reports so that the tablet's usage abilities are not compromised.
Additional Features
The iPad mini 5 will reportedly offer support for 3D Touch, a feature introduced in the iPhone 6s, and be water-resistant thanks to its IP68 certification.
The tablet may aloo support Apple Pencil and deploy a D-jack that will replace the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Release
The iPad mini 5 is rumored to be introduced in March this year and may debut alongside the iPad Pro 2, as well as the iMac (2017).
The cost of the device is expected to start at $399(32 GB model) if Apple sticks to its old pricing model. Whether the device will be ultimately called the iPad Pro mini or the iPad mini 5 remains to be seen.
