The iPad mini 5 is one of the highly-anticipated products expected to be released by Apple. However, the Cupertino-based company might no longer be too keen on continuing the line.

According to reports, Apple is looking to discontinue the iPad mini line as it is slowly being replaced by the Plus versions of its iPhone releases.

The iPhone 7 Plus, in particular, has the power of a tablet. Apple even chose to make the dual camera setup exclusive to it, which suggests that the company might want to make it more distinct than the standard-sized iPhone.

The sizes of the displays of these products are not too far apart as well. The iPhone Plus smartphones come in a 5.5-inch screen while the iPad mini 5 is expected to come with a 7.9-inch display.

The lack of concrete updates and leaks involving the iPad mini 5 is also something to take into account. This usually means that the device is not at the test beds yet or is not coming at all.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also made mention of a "low cost" iPad with a 9.7-inch display, which could very well be Apple's version of the iPad mini 5 and the iPad Air 3.

Despite this, there are still reports that the iPad mini 5 will still see the light of day. Some suggest it will be out this month, a little over a year after its predecessor was released. However, Apple is said to devote this month to its Mac line.

It is also being said that a March 2017 launch is also on the table, which suggests that it will come out with the iPad Pro 2 and the new 10.5-inch iPad Pro along with the low-cost iPad that Kuo predicted.

However, the fact that he did not mention the iPad mini 5 or anything that can be associated with the tablet suggests that it might not be in the offing at all.