iPad mini 5 release date, rumors: Tablet coming with iPhone 7 design?

Discussions about the iPad mini 5 continue despite the lack of concrete evidence of its existence. According to the latest buzz from the rumor mills, it will take after the iPhone 7 design.

This means that the next-generation iPad mini will ditch the headphone jack, a move Apple did in its latest smartphone that continues to be a source of debate among users.

In an interview with Billboard, Apple senior vice president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller said that killing the headphone jack is an indication of courage to try new things, "move on" and become the trailblazer they are.

"Our smartphones are packed with technologies, and we all want more," he said. "Maintaining an ancient, single-purpose connector doesn't make sense... that space is at a premium," he added.

It is clear that Apple is ready to take the next step in design and it appears that the iPhone will not be the only one that will experience the innovation.

As per the reports, the iPad mini 5 is the next Apple device to trade the "outdated jack" for more functionality and better use of the space it takes up.

Interestingly, it is also being rumored that the iPad mini 5 line is being discontinued by the Cupertino-based company as the demand for it saw a significant slump with the iPhone Plus models joining the fray.

According to Macrumors, the larger variants of the iPhone could slowly be rendering the small tablet obsolete, which means that the iPad mini 5 might not see the light of day at all.

Despite this, reports continue to claim that the product is yet to lose its spot in Apple's future plans and that the iPad mini 5 might arrive along with the new iPad Pro next year.

However, KGI Securities analyst Ming Chi-Kuo has not mentioned anything about the iPad mini during his research note where he claimed the iPad Pro 2 will come with a 12.9-inch version and a 10.5-inch one along with a low-cost model with a 9.7-inch display.