iPad mini 5 release date, news: tablet to be released as part of iPad Pro line instead?

It looks like the iPad mini 5 will not see the light of day after all, at least based on a new leak that details the plans of Apple involving its tablet lineups.

According to Mac Otakara, a new iPad Pro with a 7.9-inch display, which is the same size as the iPad mini tablets, is in the works.

Additionally, this iPad Pro model will also have the same dimensions as the iPad mini 4, which is supposed to be the predecessor of the iPad mini 5.

From the looks of it, this 7.9-inch iPad Pro could be Apple's version of a new iPad mini. This means that while the iPad mini 5 will arrive, it will come with a new identity as part of the Pro lineup.

This is in line with previous rumors that the Cupertino-based tech giant is going full-on Pro on its iPad catalog, which means that the iPad mini 5 could come out as this purported new 7.9-inch iPad Pro.

Not too long ago, it was rumored that the iPad mini line will be discontinued as the demand for it became lesser and lesser with the presence of the Plus models of the iPhone.

Now, it looks like Apple has found another reason to at least refresh the tablet range by giving it a new name. Whether this will or not be the case remains to be seen.

Either way, Apple going completely Pro on its iPads may have been the reason the iPad mini 5 is a no-show as well as the iPad Air 3, which users have been waiting for since last year.

As for the release date, it is believed that the iPad mini 5 aka the 7.9-inch iPad Pro will be released alongside next-generation iPad Pros early next year.

There are no details on the specifications and features of the iPad mini 5 though. It is believed that it will be powered by either the all-new A10X processor or the current-generation A9X processor, much like the rumored low-cost iPad Pro set to release next year as well.