iPad Mini 5 release date, specs rumors: iPad Mini 5 to ride with iPhone 7 in September release

Apple's iPad Mini 5 is slated for a simultaneous unveiling event in September with iPhone 7 and iPad Air 3. Latest reports suggest that the next iteration of the iPad Mini lineup will be the thinnest tablet that the Cupertino-based tech giant ever crafted.

According to PC Tablet, iPad Mini 5 is touted to be thinner that the current flagship. Its thickness is rumored to be 5 millimeters vs. iPad Mini 4's 6.1 mm. This rumor is not entirely baseless. After all, Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 has a 5.6-mm slim body feature. Also, the next-generation upgrade will incorporate 3D touch technology in its features. It is also bound to get rid of the headphone jack to achieve its ultimate slim design.

Another interesting rumored add-on would be the tablet's waterproof and dust-resistant safety feature. Looking at rivals, Samsung's Galaxy S7 and Note 7 both have waterproof package included. Under the hood, iPad Mini 5 will run on internally-designed A9X SoC chipset featuring a dual-core processor. Moreover, a 12-core seventh-generation PowerVR graphics processor will enhance the tablet's graphics display. The battery, on the other hand, will have lesser capacity to make way for the device's slim design but compensated a newer technology to increase efficiency. When the fifth-generation iPad Mini comes out of the box in September, tech observers predict that will run on Apple's latest iOS.

The fifth-generation tablet of the iPad Mini series is expected to generate interest especially with the build-up of excitement leading up to the highly anticipated unwrapping this fall. So far, Apple is yet to confirm the rumored release schedule.

But if last year's launch date of earlier iPad Mini iterations is any indication, it can be safely surmised that the highly speculated September release may follow the same pattern as per Mobile & Apps report. Last year, the Sept. 9 release of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S took everyone by surprise as the date was earlier than what most tech pundits and fans had initially expected. As for iPad Minis, earlier generations used to be unveiled a month after iPhone's unwrapping in September. However, Apple decided to roll the separate launches into one grand tech reveal event beginning last year

While the unveiling of iPhone 7 is touted as this fall's main tech event, other less media-hyped devices such as iPad Air 3 may ride along with other devices. Previously, the device was largely expected to make an appearance at Apple's spring event in March which introduced iPad Pro in 12.9-inch and 9.7-inch variants.