The iPad Mini 5 was previously expected to launch during Apple's WWDC event last March, and then, it was also rumored to be unveiled later during the September event where the iPhone 7 was unveiled. It was not present in either, and it is now speculated that the iPad Mini 5, if it hasn't already been canceled or rebranded, will launch in March 2017.

The last iteration of the iPad Mini, the iPad Mini 4, was launched in September 2015. This is a month early from the usual October release of the iPad Mini line, and it was presumed that the iPad Mini 5 may be unveiled this September and rolled out in October, but this did not come true.

According to MacWorld, this means the iPad Mini 5 is more likely to launch in March next year since this is also the same time period that the iPad Pro was launched. However, since it may coincide with the launch of a new iPad Pro model, the iPad Mini 5 is also speculated to be rebranded as the iPad Pro Mini.

The new iPad is rumored to sport a Series 7000 aluminum body that will make it lighter and thinner. It will also use the same type of Retina display seen on the iPad Mini 4. In terms of its newer features, it may come with dust and water resistance, similar to the feature on the iPhone 7, and 3D Touch.

If the device is called the iPad Pro Mini, it is then speculated, as noted by PC Advisor, to come with the Apple Pencil. Given how it is launching in 2017, it is expected to feature iOS 10 right out of the box and that it may be powered by the latest iteration of the A9 chip.

MacWorld also points out that the iPad Mini 5 may drop the 16 GB version and start with a 32 GB version, raising the base price for the iPad Mini 5 to $399.