New iPads Expected in First Half of 2019, Including iPad Mini 5 With Similar Design as iPad Mini 4

Apple is set to launch new iPad models in the first half of 2019, according to Taiwanese supply chain website DigiTimes.

ipad mini 4 2017 roundup header
One of those new models is expected to be the so-called iPad mini 5, but anyone hoping for a major redesign should lower their expectations, as Japanese blog Mac Otakara reports that the tablet will have a similar design as the ‌iPad mini‌ 4. The information comes from the blog's discussions with accessory makers.

Mac Otakara claims the ‌iPad mini‌ 5 will have identical dimensions as the ‌iPad mini‌ 4, including a thickness of 6.1mm, suggesting that the tablet will have the same 7.9-inch display if bezel size remains unchanged. The blog also expects the tablet to retain a Lightning connector, Touch ID, and 3.5mm headphone jack.

One design change expected is the repositioning of the rear microphone to a top-center position in line with the sixth-generation ‌iPad‌.

The report claims it is unclear whether the ‌iPad mini‌ 5 will have an A10 Fusion chip akin to the iPhone 7, ‌iPhone‌ 7 Plus, and sixth-generation ‌iPad‌, or an A10X Fusion chip in line with 2017 iPad Pro models and the Apple TV 4K.

It's also unclear if the ‌iPad mini‌ 5 will support the original Apple Pencil, but second-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ support seems to be ruled out.

Related Roundup: iPad mini
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

carplay next gen hero

RIP, CarPlay 2?

Sunday December 29, 2024 7:32 am PST by
Apple's website continues to state that the first vehicle models with next-generation CarPlay will "arrive in 2024." With less than three days remaining in the year, however, that timeframe is looking more and more unlikely. It would not be entirely Apple's fault if the stated 2024 target is missed, given that it is ultimately up to automakers to roll out the software in vehicles, but it is...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

Five Apple Intelligence Features Coming in 2025

Friday December 27, 2024 2:43 pm PST by
Even though iOS 18.1 and iOS 18.2 added multiple Apple Intelligence features like Image Playground, Genmoji, Writing Tools, and more, there are still new Apple Intelligence capabilities that we're waiting on. Apple has at least one more major Apple Intelligence update coming in 2025, and the functionality that we're expecting is outlined below. Priority Notifications Notification summaries...
apple tv plus teaser

Apple Teases Apple TV+ Surprise on January 4 and 5

Thursday December 26, 2024 10:35 am PST by
Apple this week began teasing some kind of upcoming Apple TV+ surprise that's set to happen on January 4 and January 5, telling customers to "stay tuned" and "save the date" in social media posts. Apple's images have a tagline that says "See for yourself," but it isn't clear what Apple has planned. Some users on Reddit have speculated that Apple might be planning to launch a promotion that...
New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

22 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 23, 2024 6:30 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
Sudoku Apple News iOS 18

iOS 18.2 Added a New Game to Your iPhone

Saturday December 28, 2024 12:03 pm PST by
Starting with iOS 18.2, released earlier this month, Apple News+ subscribers in the U.S. have access to daily sudoku puzzles in the Apple News app. There are easy, moderate, and challenging difficulty levels for the daily puzzles. A scoreboard tracks your sudoku stats, including your total number of puzzles solved, fastest completion times per difficulty level, and more. Sudoku is the...
AirTag and Lavender iPhone

AirTag 2 Launching Next Year With These New Features

Tuesday December 24, 2024 8:35 am PST by
Apple is expected to release an AirTag 2 next year, and a few new features and changes have already been rumored for the item tracker. Below, we recap what to expect from the AirTag 2: The new AirTag is expected to be equipped with Apple's second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for longer range. The chip debuted last year in the iPhone 15 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and Apple said it...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Rumored to Be Compatible With These iPhones

Sunday December 22, 2024 8:09 am PST by
iOS 19 will not drop support for any iPhone models, according to French website iPhoneSoft.fr. The report cites a source within Apple. The report said that iOS 19 will be compatible with any iPhone that is capable of running iOS 18, which would mean the following models: iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro ...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Expected Next Year: Here's What We Know

Monday December 23, 2024 4:18 am PST by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...

Top Rated Comments

sracer Avatar
77 months ago
Here’s to hoping for Apple Pencil support.
If the Mini 5 is simply a Mini 4 with updated processor, w/Apple Pencil 1 support, and priced under $300... Boom!
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Baymowe335 Avatar
77 months ago
This will please a lot of people. Let's hope they don't fold like a hot Mars bar the moment someone picks them up...
The Pros don’t do that either.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Val-kyrie Avatar
77 months ago
Here’s to hoping for Apple Pencil support.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spock Avatar
77 months ago
$229 iPad mini and it will sell out.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sasparilla Avatar
77 months ago
Sounds very good, although at this point I hope they go for a A11 chip....the A10 is several years old already.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nviz22 Avatar
77 months ago
Apple should include Apple Pencil support with the Mini. I get it that there isn’t as much real-estate as the Pro or 6th gen iPad, but choices are good.
[doublepost=1549891269][/doublepost]
Sincere Question: Why would Apple want to keep two pencils in stock? That makes no sense to me. Apple likes simple, that would complicate things. I rather saw the 2nd Gen Pencil as a replacement moving forward.
They can still make $ on the education, business, art, etc segments that use iPad 6th gens.

So far, only the iPad Pro 2018 can use the 2nd gen Apple Pencils.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)