It is said that Apple will overhaul its product lineups, particularly the tablet series. Speculations suggest that one major redesign is to merge the Mini lineup with the upcoming iPad Pro 2.
According to GameNGuide, it has been a while since supposed details on the iPad Mini 5 has been seen online. Meanwhile, speculations suggest that Apple will be streamlining its product lineups starting next year. As for the iPad series, rumor has it that the Cupertino-based tech giant will merge all iPad series under the iPad Pro lineup, starting with the iPad Pro 2.
Should this happen, it is likely that the next 7.0-inch iPad slate will fall under the iPad Pro lineup, instead of the expected iPad Mini 5. In addition, this will likely spell the discontinuation of the Mini lineup. While Apple has yet to confirm the rumors, having one, central slate lineup under the iPad Pro series is the most likely "streamlined" series that Apple will offer, since the iPad Pro tag has been both the mid-range and top-tier flagship tablets for the company.
Meanwhile, aside from integrating the iPad Mini under the iPad Pro 2 lineup, it is also said that other tablet series like the iPad Air will also get discontinued, and the expected iPad Air 3 the last release in the series.
As to what fans can expect in the new iPad Mini, should the integration happen, it is likely that it will serve as the smallest, entry-level tablet in the overhauled iPad Pro series. This means that it will more or less have similar specs with the iPad Air 3, which places iPhone 6s-like features and specs under the hood. Purported specs include an A9 chipset and at least 2 GB of RAM.
A streamlined iPad Pro 2 lineup means that the next iPad Mini is also likely to launch alongside the other variants. While a specific release timeline is not yet confirmed, it is expected that the new iPad Pro 2 series will debut early next year.
