Apple iPad Mini 5: No Redesign Prepared For iOS Tablet?

Some Taiwanese companies recently claimed that new iPad tablets will arrive in the first half of 2019. However, the specs for these new iPads would be somehow similar to its previous iteration. Here’s what we know about the Apple iPad Mini 5 release.

According to DigiTimes, Apple flexboard suppliers Compeq and Unitech confirmed that Apple is planning to ship out new iPads within the first half of 2019. After that, Apple will release the new iPhones by the latter half. The early 2019 release of the iPads seem to be a move to boost up their Taiwanese company partners' revenue with the device sales. Potentially, we might see the new Apple iPad Mini before June.

As for the iPad Mini 5’s specs, Mac Otakara believes that it will have similar features with the iPad Mini 4 based on the insider information they got from Apple accessory makers.

According to the site, the iPad mini 5 will be around 6.1mm, which means it may have the 7.9-inch display if its bezels are not altered. The new device will apparently also have the Touch ID feature, Lightning ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

However, the back mic of the iPad Mini 5 will reportedly be placed at the upper back of the device, similar to the 6th generation iPad rather the iPad Mini 4. The design is to reduce costs for creating the device. It’s unclear, however, if the iPad Mini 5 will have Apple Pencil support.

Despite the wealth of information from this site, it’s best to hold out first as Mac Otakara didn’t mention which company they got this information from.

As of CES 2019, Apple has not yet hyped up its fans about their 2019 device lineup. If the suppliers are right, we may have an idea about Apple’s release timeline this year, but we still need to wait for official information from Apple. So far, the company has expressed its focus on providing services rather than announcing new devices.