September has always been a big month for the Cupertino-based tech firm, and this year, Apple fans are excitedly awaiting for the new devices to be unveiled. Among the rumored devices are the iPad Mini 5 and the iPad Pro Mini.
Part of the annual device line update by Apple Inc. is the upcoming iPad Mini 5, which is reportedly be slated for a September 2016 announcement, as reported by Tech Advisor. This rumor is backed by the fact that iPad Mini 4 was launched in Sept. 9, 2015.
Because the newest addition to the iPad Mini tier did not made an appearance on Apple's March event, and even in the WWDC in June, reports are rife that the iPad Mini 5 will be unveiled and will go on sale by September.
The much-awaited iPad Mini 5 will reportedly look the same as the iPad Mini 4. It will have similar Retina display, which measures 7.9 inches. The major difference in terms of design is that the upcoming Mini series will be more durable with its 7000-series aluminum body. Hence, this is to avoid another Bend-gate incident.
Apple's upcoming iPad Mini 5, measuring only 55mm. thick, will also be thinner compared to iPad Mini 4. Rumors also hinted for a Rose Gold variant, which is already present in other Apple devices. When it comes to new awesome features, iPad Mini 5 will reportedly have iPhone 6S and iPhone 6s Plus' 3D Touch, which allows users to touch several points of the device's screen that results to various options and commands.
The upcoming iPad Mini 5 will also have 1P68 protection, which means that Mini 5's hardware may be waterproof. No Apple device has this capability, so this rumor is not as strong as the other ones. Another plus factor for iPad Mini 5 will be the posh stylus called Apple Pencil, which is more likely if the tech giant will launch iPad Pro Mini and not iPad mini 5.
Following the traditions, it is expected that the new iPad Mini 5 will have iOS 10, as it will be launched side by side with the upcoming iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. In terms of chipset, many believes that iPad Mini 5 will have the successors of Apple A8 processor and M8 motion co-processor, called A9 and M9 respectively.
When it comes to built-in storage, rumors are hopeful that iPad Mini 5's minimum storage will be 32GB. On the other hand, the screen resolution arena will not be updated, as it will be the same 7.9in Retina IPS display. The same goes with the cameras, as the new mini device will have the same 8MP rear camera and 1.2MP selfie shooter.
Battery wise, Apple may use a smaller battery as iPad Mini 5 is expected to be thinner than its predecessor, as reported by Cult of Mac. iPad mini 5 will also do away with 3.5mm headphone jack and will sport a new D-jack, just like the upcoming iPhone 7 devices.
In terms of price and availability, the iPad Mini 5 will follow the steps of its predecessors. One of the hanging intriguing questions on Apple Inc.'s upcoming September 2016 launch is if there will be an iPad Pro Mini or will it be just an iPad Mini 5.
It can be recalled that rumors prior to Apple's March event claimed that there will be a new iPad Air 3 but there was none; however, the tech giant instead launched the 9.7-inch iPad Pro.
However, some believes a 7.9-inch iPad Pro will not be as productive as the bigger tablets of Pro line. Hence, Apple may just stick to the 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch variants of iPad Pro.
The Cupertino-based tech giant has remained mum, so tech enthusiasts will yet to see what's in store for them in the upcoming iPad Mini 5 and the might-be iPad Pro Mini.