iPad Pro Mini rumors: Apple to replace iPad Mini 5 with iPad Pro Mini?

News from tech rumor land indicate that Apple will remove iPad Mini 5 from its planned iPad launch next year. Instead, the whole iPad Mini series will form part of the revamped iPad Pro Mini series.

As far as speculations are concerned, Apple is reportedly planning a massive overhaul of its product portfolio in response to the global slump in demand for its iconic product tablet, smartphone, and notebook lineups. More reports have surfaced suggesting that the company is seriously mulling on streamlining similar devices and consolidating them under a single product lineup.

Reputable industry leakster and KGI Securities analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, noted that with the release of new iPad iterations next year, the Cupertino-based tech giant is likely to introduce 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch variants plus a 9.7-inch budget version, MacRumors reported. Kuo did not drop any word on the anticipated iPad Mini 5 for next year's release of tablets. With credible accurate predictions to his name, Kuo's insights are often being studied closely by tech observers and analysts. By failing to mention iPad Mini 5 in his latest notes to investors, Kuo may have indirectly suggested the mini-tablet's inevitable end.

Apart from possibly discontinuing the iPad Mini 5 series, the Cupertino-based tech giant may possibly axe other redundant iPad lineups like the iPad Air series to maximize and consolidate sales under a single tablet brand. Apple's various iPad lineups often compete with each other for sales in the highly saturated tablet market. Kuo also reiterated that in order to beat his gloomy 2017 forecast, Apple should do more in creating waves of excitements reminiscent of the next-big-thing moments which the company was known for. As the company transitions to new models next year, reigniting consumers' tech interest may happen two years from now.

Meanwhile, for those who remain optimistic for a hopeful iPad Mini 5 release date, some sources reported across various online media outlets point that the tablet's fifth iterative upgrade will have a generous base storage offering of 32 gigabytes– twice the conventional 16-gigabyte variant per BitBag report. For fans with the need for humongous memory spaces, an expanded storage is a blessing since Apple devices do not have micro-SD slots.