A 5G "Pro" version of this Apple device could be introduced at any time

Ah, March is here and that means the return of Daylight Saving Time is just days away. Will Siri screw it up again this year? You might recall that there was a period of time where twice a year, the iPhone would screw up the return and the end of Daylight Saving Time. Speaking of March, over the previous three years Apple has unveiled new iPad models during that month. In 2018, a new iPad powered by the A10 Fusion chip sporting a 9.7-inch display was introduced. In 2019, the Apple iPad Air was announced in March sporting the A12 Bionic with 3GB of RAM. Last year, Apple introduced 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models in March.

This March, we could see Apple announce a new iPad mini. This would be the sixth-generation version of the device and according to 9to5Mac, it could be known as the iPad mini Pro. Back in January, Mac Otakara said that an 8.4-inch screen will be on board the slate; that is .7-inches larger than the traditional 7.9-inch screen that has accompanied the iPad mini. Reliable TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects the new display to weigh in at 8.5-inches to 9-inches. The analyst says that the selling points of the tablet will be "the affordable price tag and the adoption of fast chips."

South Korean blog Naver says that with this larger-screened version of the iPad mini, Apple might consider calling it the iPad mini Pro since the tablet is used in large part by businesses. Remember those restaurants near you that give each waiter an iPad mini to take orders with? You also might find this tablet in the hands of manufacturing employees who need to know how many Spacely Sprockets remain in inventory. When the number of components gets low, the iPad mini can notify the employee so that he can reorder the necessary parts.

After translation, Korean blog Naver says, "The iPad mini Pro model , which we talked about on January 10th of this year in July of last year, was captured during the internal project stage for the first time. It is currently in the design P2 stage beyond the R&D stage and the planning stage, and seems to be moving to the DVT P3 stage sooner or later...The size is 8.7 inches, the width is longer than that of the previous iPad mini, and the vertical width is slightly reduced."

Kuo says that Apple might decide to reduce the bezel size of the upcoming iPad mini Pro to allow the larger 8.5-inch to 9-inch display to fit into the same form factor used in the current model. Apple could decide to eliminate the Home Screen/Touch ID button and offer in-display Face ID, in-display Touch ID, or both. The new tablet might be equipped with a mini-LED display. This technology might be employed on as many as 30% to 40% of all iPad shipments this year. Mini-LED delivers many of the same positives that you'll find on an OLED panel, such as dark blacks, better contrast levels, richer colors, slight savings on battery life, all without the possibility of screen burn-ins. Essentially, mini-LED is the next generation of LED displays and provide users with much higher maximum brightness levels.

There is also the possibility that the upcoming iPad mini Pro will offer support for 5G, the next generation of wireless connectivity. Last year, Apple released its first 5G enabled iPhone models and there has been talk for some time now about 5G iPads. These would offer download data speeds 10 to 100 times faster than 4G speeds. HD movies that would take minutes to download would be finished in seconds. 5G data speed can lead to the creation of new technology and businesses that have yet to be created.

The iPad mini Pro could be unveiled any day now. Feel free to check in often. We'll leave the lights on for you.