Credit: iUpdate / YouTubeApple is widely expected to debut a new iPad mini 5 and an entry-level iPad this spring. One of today’s reports corroborates past iPad mini rumors, while the other adds an unexpected detail about this year’s iPad lineup.
Two Entry-Level iPads?
The first rumor about Apple’s 2019 lineup comes from a Twitter user and past accurate Apple leaker named CoinX. The Twitter account claims that Apple is working on two entry-level iPad models this year.
One of those models will be the previously rumored 10.2-inch iPad, which is largely expected to replace the current 9.7-inch iPad. But CoinX adds that Apple is also working on an iPad with a 10.5-inch display that isn’t an iPad Pro.
Unfortunately, the account did not provide any additional details beyond the fact that the 10.2-inch iPad and the alleged 10.5-inch iPad will not be released at the same time.
This is the first time that we’ve heard anything about a non-Pro 10.5-inch iPad. Presumably, such a device would fill the gap between the $300-range, entry-level iPad and the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, which starts at $649.
The 10.2-inch iPad, on the other hand, is rumored to debut this spring. It’ll likely sport incremental spec upgrades and is expected to retain the design of its predecessor, including Touch ID.
It’s unclear who CoinX is or who his or her sources may be. But it’s worth noting that the Twitter account has leaked accurate information before anyone else — such as the 2018 iPhone naming scheme and the exact thickness of the 2018 iPad Pro.
iPad mini 5
CoinX’s latest tweet did not reveal any details about an upcoming iPad mini refresh (though one of the account’s previous posts noted that the product “is not dead.”)
But another report this morning suggests that a so-called iPad mini 5 is indeed coming, and that it will likely sport minimal changes from the previous version.
Indian tech site 91Mobiles published a picture of an alleged iPad mini 5 case, which it said it obtained from a SlashLeaks contributor.
Most notably, the case seems to suggest that the iPad mini won’t have any major outward-facing design changes beyond a new microphone placement. The case has a new, centered hole for the iPad mini 5’s microphone.
The rest of the case’s features strongly resemble current offerings that fit the iPad mini 4. The Lightning port and speaker cutouts, side and top button placements, and camera cutout all suggest that the iPad mini 5 will look basically the same as its predecessor.
If the case is indeed authentic and based on accurate design information, it would corroborate past reports that the iPad mini 5 won’t amount to much more than a spec bump. Well-connected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that it will feature an upgraded processor, but not much else.
