iPad Mini 5 release date news: Tipped for a March 2017 launch with iPad Pro 2

Karissa Dumaraog Monday, December 12, 2016

A stack of iPad minis is shown after the device went on sale at Apple's retail store in Palo Alto, California, November 2, 2012. The launch of Apple Inc.'s iPad mini attracted smaller crowds from Sydney to New York on Friday than have been typical for previous Apple product debuts, events marked by people lining up for hours or even days. | Reuters/Robert Galbraith

It has been a tablet and phone world for Apple this year. That leaves the famed tablet line, at least the existing lines, to be shoved to the side for quite some time. But if recent rumors are to be believed, the smart devices are looking at a way to come back including the tipped iPad Mini 5.

A lot of buzz has surrounded the gadget in the latter half of the year especially when it was speculated to drop back in September and when it did not, was consequentially speculated to arrive in October. Obviously, the arrival did not happen despite the fact that the Cupertino-based company held two separate events in those two months. Now. the chances are that Apple is already done for the year in terms of releasing products, which is why everyone is already looking forward to 2017 to see what the tech giant has in store for its loyal fan base.

The most generated buzz in terms of when Apple is said to be staging another gathering to unveil its new roster of products is by March 2017. It could be something similar to this year, in which the company hosted a small event but does not necessarily mean that it did not drew out massive attention. At those events this year, a lot were pining for the release of the iPad Air 3 but instead, the iPad Mini Pro was debuted. Following that, speculations that the Air family is quietly being phased out have made the rounds online as the MacBook Air 2016 did not also make an appearance up until now. By the latter part of the year, the iPad Mini 5 took center stage in terms of rumors that did not materialize thus far.

Putting all these ideas together, more and more tech buffs believe that by March 2017 the company will be putting out the Mini 5 alongside the possible second iteration of the iPad Pro, which was released sometime by the end of last year.

Specs-wise, Apple may still be working on thinner gadgets which is why it is safe to assume that a sleeker build will be incorporated on the tablet. It will however be made of 7000 aluminum which makes for a more durable housing. Under the hood, either an A9 or A10 chip will be partnered with a 3 GB of random-access memory (RAM).