iPad mini 5 release date: iPhone Plus smartphones to take the place of tablet model?

The Apple logo is pictured on the front of a retail store in the Marina neighborhood in San Francisco, California April 23, 2014. Reuters/Robert Galbraith

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.

News
Religious facades mask the misery of human trafficking
Religious facades mask the misery of human trafficking

A disturbing and deceptive trend has come to light in Southeast Asia: human traffickers masquerading as Christian missionaries and pilgrims to transport victims across international borders. 

Bible readings by 'Carry On' star reveal private quest for faith
Bible readings by 'Carry On' star reveal private quest for faith

At the height of his fame in the 1970s, Kenneth Williams was asked to record excerpts from the Bible. Those recordings hadn’t been broadcast until the BBC did so at the weekend on Radio 4. So, was Kenneth Williams a closet Christian?

Jesus Film Project reaches 2,200 languages with release of new dialect
Jesus Film Project reaches 2,200 languages with release of new dialect

The latest version was released in Bouna, a dialect of the Kulango language spoken in Côte d’Ivoire in West Africa. 

American missionary pastor abducted at gunpoint during church meeting in South Africa
American missionary pastor abducted at gunpoint during church meeting in South Africa

An American church-planting missionary was abducted at gunpoint while leading a prayer meeting at his church in South Africa on Thursday, police say.