Apple is set to launch a number of iPad models in H1 2019, DigiTimes reports, with Japanese blog Mac Otakara claiming the lineup will include the so-called iPad mini 5, a device apparently very similar to the previous iPad mini 4.
According to Mac Otakara, the iPad mini 5 will be identical in terms of size as the iPad mini 4, down to the same 6.1mm thickness. As such, it will probably have the same 7.9-inch display, at least if the bezels remain unchanged. It should also retain the Lightning connector (no USB-C here), Touch ID and 3.5mm jack, while the rear microphone gets a change of position to the top-centre, in line with the 6th generation iPad.
What the blog does not specify is the processor inside the iPad mini 5-- will it be the A10 Fusion chip from the iPhone 7, 7 Plus and 6th generation iPad, or the A10X Fusion from the 2017 iPad Pro models or the Apple TV 4K? Also unclear is whether the smaller tablet supports the Apple Pencil, be it the first version or the latest iteration.
Meanwhile DigiTimes adds the new iPad will be a boon for Taiwanese flexible PCB suppliers, but what counts most for such companies is the sales of future iPhones set for an H2 2019 launch.
Go Apple Supply Chain: Flexible PCB Makers Plagued by Lackluster iPhone Sales (DigiTimes)