Just a few weeks ago we wrote that Apple is ripping off its customers by selling iPad mini 4 in 2018. The smaller tablet is overdue a design and spec overhaul for a long time, and now it looks like something is finally going to happen in 2019. According to China Times Apple is preparing a new iPad mini for 2019, along with a redesigned budget iPad with a 10-inch screen. This 10-inch iPad will be replacing the 9.7-inch 2018 iPad that sells for $329.
According to the report iPad mini 5th generation could go into mass production before the end of December and could launch as soon as in the first couple months of 2019. It is still unclear what changes this new iPad mini will bring to the smaller form factor of iPad, however it is still interesting to see Apple updating a product that everyone thought was all but dead in the eyes of Apple. While a major spec bump can be expected from iPad mini’s 2019 release, whether we will get a bezel-less design is something that remains to be seen.
The report about the iPad mini notes that it will be a low-priced device, so it is unlikely that it will get a 2018 iPad Pro like bezel-less design. Apple sells the iPad mini 4 for $399, so it is likely that the new upgraded model with same design could be available at the same or slightly lower price point.
The 2019 10-inch iPad however won’t be coming in the first few months of 2019. According to the report this particular iPad could be making its way to the market in the second half of 2019. It is expected to sell at the same $329 price point. The slight increase in screen size could mean thinner side bezels on the device in the similar fashion as the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, which features much thinner side bezels compared to current iPad.
