iPad Mini 5 release date, specs news update: New tablet to come out before yearend?

The iPad Mini 5 was expected to be launched during Apple's Sept. 7 event. Fans were excited; however, the Cupertino-based company decided to skip the highly anticipated tablet at the event. Now, interested buyers are wondering when the fifth generation of iPad Mini will hit the shelves.

According to a report by PC Advisor, despite Apple's failure to launch the iPad Mini 5, tech fans believe that it will come out anytime soon. The iPad Mini 4 came out in September last year and if the device will not be released by the end of the year, the publication says that it will most likely be launched in March next year.

In a report by University Herald, the new iPad Mini 5 will be unveiled along with the much-awaited MacBook Pro 2016. The rumored laptop was also expected to be launched on Sept. 7. Apparently, Apple had a different plan and now fans are hoping that the new flagship portable computer will come out before the year ends.

Meanwhile, Apple has continued to stay silent with regard to its future releases. However, fans and critics have already shared their own predictions on what the device will offer once it hits the market. According to reports the tablet will no longer carry the 3.5-mm headphone jack. It will have a different port similar to the one found on the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. There are also reports suggesting that the iPad Mini 5 will run on an A9 processor, which is an upgrade from the A8 currently being used in iPad Mini 4.

The new iteration is also expected to come out thinner and lighter compared to its predecessor. It will carry a 7000-series aluminum chassis, which is the same material Apple used on iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus.

As of the moment, the company has yet to provide any solid information with regard to the iPad Mini 5's development and release. Fans will have to take these rumors and speculations with a grain of salt.