What's Happening With The Missing Apple iPad Air 3, iPad Mini 5 Tablets?

Could rumored expansion of iPad Pro lineup have an impact on the iPad Air 3 and the iPad Mini 5?

By John Paul Sunico, Christian Post Contributor Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Both the iPad Air 3 and the iPad Mini 5 were expected to be released last year, and yet neither showed up, prompting questions of whether or not they may still be made available at all.

Notably, it's been more than two years since the iPad Air 2 was released, while the iPad Mini 4 came out in September of 2015.

Given their lengthy absences, it's understandable that rumors hinting at their possible demises have been making the rounds online.

Still, it's worth taking a closer look at what may have happened to the two missing tablets in an attempt to figure out if Apple may still be planning to release them.

Starting off with the iPad Air 3, as TechRadar noted in a recent article, there could still be a role for this particular device as Apple could position it as their affordable tablet option.

Interestingly enough, however, it looks like the iPad Pro lineup could expand in a way that it may offer a budget-friendly option as well.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple may release three new iPads this year, including a 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2, another tablet with a screen that measures somewhere between 10 to 10.5 inches and a "low cost" option that features a 9.7-inch display, MacRumors reported.

Apple already released a 9.7-inch iPad Pro last year, so the new 9.7-inch model Kuo is referring to could very well be branded as the direct follow-up to that. If that turns out to be the case, then there may be no more room for a new iPad Air.

Moving on now to the iPad Mini 5, there was a report from Mac Otakara that came out last October, which indicated that a 7.9-inch iPad Pro released this year may effectively replace the missing mini tablet as a kind of spiritual successor.

Since then, however, new details about that mini tablet have been nearly non-existent.

Needless to say, there's still a great deal of uncertainty surrounding Apple's upcoming tablets, but hopefully, this year will provide more clarity and people will finally find out exactly what has happened to the iPad Air 3 and the iPad Mini 5.