It has been two years in a row that Apple had released iPad minis – the iPad Mini on November 2012 and the iPad Mini with Retina display on November 2013. Now, the industry wonders if the Cupertino mobile device maker will follow the same pattern this year and would release the next iPad Mini.

Rumors began to circulate regarding the next smaller version of Apple's tablets.

Apple's next iPad Mini is sometimes called in the rumor land as iPad Mini 3, since the tech media calls iPad Mini and iPad Mini with Retina display as iPad Mini 1 and iPad Mini 2, respectively. Whatever Apple will call the next iPad Mini, no one knows. Macworld says, perhaps it will be in the lines of "Air" and "Pro", just like its big brothers full-sized iPads, especially if it has significant updates.

Features and Specs

There are no seemingly realistic rumors about the features of the next iPad mini yet. However, many iPad mini owners wish they will see a Touch ID in the next generation, just like what they see in iPhone 5s. There is no fuss about processors as the iPad Mini with Retina display already performs fast, but Apple can still enhance that if it sees the need; most likely, it may be a 64-bit system on a chip (Soc).

KGI Securities Analyst analyst Ming-Chi Kuo hinted the next iPad mini will have an 8MP iSight camera. The iPad mini 2 has a 5MP iSight rear-facing camera and a 1.2MP front-facing camera.

As for the display, it may stick with what iPad mini 2 has now – 2048 x 1536 resolution and 7.9-inch. Theory says retina displays have resolutions, enough for the human eye. Thus, improvements will not be necessary.

Release Date and Price

Apple released the first iPad Mini on November 2012, less than two weeks after its announcement in October. The iPad Mini with Retina display was announced in the next year on October 2013 and released in November. Their release dates were on time for the big holiday season sale. If Apple has to follow the same pattern this year, it is not a bad thing either.

As for the price, Apple has the tendency to price its new products slightly the same with that of their predecessors'. There are speculations iPad Mini 3's entry point will be $538 (or £319).

Whether it be major or slight updates for the next iPad Mini, Apple will make sure it contains features to justify its being and give the consumers a good reason to upgrade.