Apple will supposedly overhaul its tablet lineup starting with the 2017 releases. One rumored improvement is that the anticipated iPad Mini 5 will be rebranded as a smaller iPad Pro variant.
According to speculations, the iPad Mini 5 is a long-awaited Apple slate follow-up, along with the iPad Air 3. Meanwhile, Apple is said to finally release the new Mini next year, alongside the iPad Pro 2 lineup. However, instead of the expected iPad Mini 5, the next tablet will be rebranded as the iPad Pro Mini.
Reports indicate that the Cupertino-based tech giant will be overhauling its lineups starting with the 2017 releases. For its tablet products, Apple will reportedly concentrate on the iPad Pro series, and will rebrand all its succeeding slates accordingly. Because of the revamp, the iPad Pro 2 will be expanded with a new, 10.5-inch variant. In addition, it is said that the iPad Pro 2 lineup will add a smaller version, the iPad Pro Mini.
Accordingly, the supposed iPad Pro Mini will serve as a smaller iPad Pro, an entry-level complement to next year's lineups. Should this prove true, it means that most specs and features from the original iPad Pro release will make it to the new Mini, including an A9 chipset, at least 2 GB of RAM, and workstation-focused features like the Apple Pencil support.
Rumors also point out that as a Mini release, the upcoming tablet will be the last in the lineup, together with the iPad Air 3. Supposedly, Apple will only release the two tablets since most fans have been expecting the slates for a long time. The iPad Mini lineup's last release was the iPad Mini 4 which was launched last year. It remains unclear, though, if the 2017 release is the last for the iPad Mini lineup itself and subsequent releases will be rebranded as iPad Pro Mini, or if Apple will discontinue the 7-inch product series completely.
