Apple's iPad mini 5 could be joined by a sixth-gen standard iPad with a 10-inch screen in 2019

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Apple's iPad mini 5 could be joined by a sixth-gen standard iPad with a 10-inch screen in 2019
Apple’s iPad release schedule has been getting harder and harder to predict in recent years, as the latest Pro generation arrived on the market last month to follow in the footsteps of two powerful summer 2017 tablets, while the iPad mini 4 turned three this fall without receiving a sequel.

While certain insiders expected diminutive iPads to go the way of the dodo (and the pint-sized iPhone SE), others forecasted a fifth-gen 7.9-inch announcement would happen “by early 2019.”

There’s obviously no time left for Apple to do that before 2018 ends, but according to a Chinese newspaper quoted by the Japanese Macotakara blog (via MacRumors), the iPad mini 5 will be released sometime during the first half of next year.

That’s pretty vague, and there’s naturally no way to verify the claim just yet, especially with no word on specs, features, or pricing. 2015’s iPad mini 4, mind you, is still sold directly through the official Apple Store at a starting price of $399 in a single 128GB storage configuration.

Elsewhere, we’ve seen the iOS 12-powered slate frequently discounted of late, which certainly helped maintain its appeal, along with a beautiful (and compact) “Retina” display, a remarkably thin profile, and surprisingly long battery life.

Unsurprisingly, Apple reportedly plans to upgrade the company’s popular 9.7-inch iPad in 2019 as well, potentially expanding its screen to a full 10 inches. This sixth-generation iPad is similarly cloaked in mystery, but if the display size increase pans out, one can assume the bezels will be reduced and the Touch ID fingerprint sensor replaced with the modern Face ID biometric recognition solution. That's merely a (semi-) educated guess, though, so you may want to hold off on your celebration dance before any of this is actually confirmed.

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