After going several years without updates, Apple’s iPad mini 4 was finally rumored late last year to have a sequel under development, and a new report offers a release window for both the small tablet and a new version of the entry-level iPad: the first half of 2019.
The dates come from manufacturing publication DigiTimes, citing Taiwanese supply chain sources. Apple is said to be planning “a fifth-generation iPad mini and another entry-level iPad model,” which are expected to use touch panels provided by Taiwan’s General Interface Solution and TPK Holding, as well as China’s O-film Technology — assuming, of course, that there’s no disruption from an increase in U.S.-China trade tensions.
Apple’s iPad mini series originally debuted as the company’s most affordable and compact tablets, initially featuring 7.9-inch screens and a $329 price point that later fell to $299. iPad minis were top picks for kids and the closest thing to a “phablet” Apple offered without its standard Phone app.
But in recent years, Apple has focused more of its development and marketing attention on the entry-level 9.7-inch iPad. That model has seen regular updates to fifth- and sixth-generation versions, starting at $329, while the iPad mini 4 is currently sold only in higher-capacity versions that start at $399. Last year’s sixth-generation iPad bumped the CPU to a faster processor and added Apple Pencil support without changing the chassis or other major features.
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It remains to be seen whether the new models debut together or separately. Apple has previously updated the entry-level iPad in March, leaving either the same event, a separate event, a press release, or 2019’s Worldwide Developers Conference as options for the iPad mini 5 release.
