Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during an Apple special event on October 16, 2014 in Cupertino, California. Apple unveiled the new iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 tablets and the iMac with 5K retina display. (Photo : Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)
The Cupertino-based tech giant last updated their iPad Mini series in 2015. As per their progression, it is safe to assume that the company might release their iPads sometime this year.
When iPad Mini 4 was launched almost two years ago, it was the best there was in the market of 8-inch tablets. If the past is any indication, experts predict that the next iPad will witness the same overhaul, as was experienced by iPad Mini 4, MacWorld UK reported.
The tablet was previously expected to launch during 2016 September/October event. However, iPad Mini 5 or iPad Pro Mini was a clear miss from the event. Since then, the speculations have been doing the rounds that iPad Mini 5 will launch alongside iPad Pro 2.
While iPad Pro Mini/iPad Mini 5 is long overdue, some analysts predict that the company may phase out their mini series entirely. According to 9to5Mac, reputed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that Apple is working on three iPads this year which will be announced in March 2017 - a 12.9-inch model that will succeed iPad Pro, a 10-inch model that will be the pricier iPad and a 9.7-inch variant as the entry level iPad.
However, Kuo did not say anything about the iPad Mini models, but did suggest that iPad Pros will be sold at a higher average selling price, indicating that there might not be any more models in iPad Mini range.
Meanwhile, in another report, a supplier for Apple revealed that 2017 order sheet did not have any mention of MacBook Air. The supplier thought it to be a mistake and brought it to Apple's attention, only to be informed that the MacBook Air line-up has been terminated.
Even though MacBook Air has been one of the highest selling variants of the company, it has been lately struggling to maintain sales as more and more buyers are opting to buy the hybrid iPad Pro. This tablet has been recording tremendous sales figures since its launch and can be the reason why MacBook Air is rooted out of Apple's entry level laptop range. But to be fair, iPad Pro is capable of filling in for the basic MacBook Air, and that too with sophisticated additional features.
