Unfortunately for fans, it seems that Apple is still maintaining its silence about the iPad Mini 5's rumored release date. However, that does not mean that speculations about its release are diminished. In fact, a lot of rumors lately are claiming that the new iPad Mini device will be set to launch in March 2017.

According to the University Herald, most rumors claim that the new iPad Mini is going to hit the market sometime early in 2017, which means it will be accompanying the new iPad Pro 2 lineup. With this, it is expected that the iPad Mini 5 will serve as the entry-level for the iPad Pro 2, as it is allegedly the smallest model in the line up.

Should the rumors turn out to be true, the iPad Pro series will have even more variety than the ones previously reported. It is strongly suggested that there will be three variants for the device, such as a 9.7-inch variant as well as a 12.9-inch version. To complete the set, it is speculated that Apple will add a 10.5-inch variant for the the iPad Pro 2.

Meanwhile, when it comes its to features the iPad Mini 5 will be even smaller than the iPad Pro. As such, fans are thinking that the device will just be a tier lower from the iPad Pro 2 series. After all, according to an article released by the Ecumenical News earlier this month, it seems that the iPad Mini 5 will be much thinner than its predecessor while sporting the same 7000 series aluminum chassis used for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s Plus.

Lastly, aside from a slimmer look, the iPad Mini 5 will have a graphics and resolution boost due to its A9 processor as well as a bigger storage. The device will be available in a cheaper 32 GB variant and 128 GB, which is the most expensive variant.