New iPad mini and 9.7-inch iPad could launch in just a few months

New Smart Battery Cases (and maybe the possibly-not-dead AirPower) aside, Apple's first real product releases of the year will probably be new iPads.

A new report from Digitimes claims two suppliers have already been contracted to produce touchscreen panels for two new iPads. One of the new iPads is expected to be an updated iPad mini and the other a refreshed entry-level iPad.

The report doesn't seem farfetched when you consider the Apple's timeline for updating its regular iPads (not the recently redesigned iPad Pros).

The iPad mini was last updated in September 2015 and is woefully outdated when you compare its performance to the 9.7-inch iPad. Certainly, iOS 12 has breathed new life into the aging iPad mini (as Mashable senior editor Stan Schroeder so happily discovered), but even the iPad mini 4's once powerful A8 chip is sluggish in 2019.

It's also strangely more expensive priced at $399 than the cheapest iPad, which starts at $329.

To make a long story short: The iPad mini is due for an update. For a while, it was believed the iPad mini might never see a refresh as larger-sized iPhones became more sensible alternatives. But hope returned last October after notable Apple analyst Min-Chi-Kuo reported supply chains suggested Apple was in the process of sourcing components for a new model.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The new iPad mini 5 (as it'll probably be called) will most likely not come with a new design with narrower bezels similar to the iPad Pro. Nor is it expected to come with Face ID.

Previous reports suggest it'll have a similar, but improved design compared to the iPad mini 4, a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, and a newer Apple chip. It's also possible Apple could bring Apple Pencil support to its smallest tablet like with the 9.7-inch iPad.

So here's what's on our iPad mini wish list:

• A12 Bionic chip

• Faster (maybe third-generation) Touch ID

• Improved cameras

• $329-349

As for updates to the 9.7-inch iPad this year: It'll likely see some kind of internal component refresh as well, but no significant design changes.

But if we're wishing for things, we'd love to have these upgrades:

• A11 Bionic chip

• Laminated Retina display

• Faster second-generation Touch ID

• Improved cameras

• $299 price

Whatever the new iPads end up being, they'll likely still be the best overall tablets for everyone. Amazon still dominates the budget space with its super cheap — essentially throwaway — Kindle Fire tablets so don't expect new iPads to compete on pricing.

The new iPads are expected to arrive sometime in the "first half of 2019." That's a big release window. But given the 9.7-inch iPad was last updated in March 2018, we could see a similar launch for the new iPads in the spring as well. So if you're in the market for a new iPad and can wait, we'd advise you to do so.