A new iPad mini is reportedly on its way, but it may not be what you hoped for

Apple still hasn't given up on the iPad mini, a new report from China Times claims (via MacRumors) citing sources from Apple's supply chain.

A new version of the iPad mini, which hasn't been updated since 2015, should arrive in the first half of 2019. But according to the report, the new iPad mini 5 will be a low-cost device, meaning it probably won't receive a major upgrade like the iPad Pro did in October.

The iPad mini has been on its deathbed — but not quite dead — for a while now. Apple hasn't been updating it, but the company CEO Tim Cook mentioned it by name during the October event. This gave me (and other iPad mini fans, if there are any left at this point) some hope that the company might overhaul the product with smaller bezels and Face ID.

This new report, which is in line with predictions by notable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo dating from October, appears to cement the iPad mini's fate as an entry-level device. Details are scarce -- Apple is allegedly replacing Japan-built LED displays with cheaper LEDs from Korea -- but it's hard to imagine Apple giving the mini smaller bezels, Face ID, and a bigger screen and then positioning it as an entry-level device.

If the report is accurate, it'll be interesting to see how much the iPad mini 5 will cost. The iPad mini 4, which is still a part of Apple's lineup despite not getting an upgrade in 3 years (if you don't count the 128GB option added in 2017), starts at $399, which doesn't exactly make it a great buy.

Besides the new iPad mini, Apple is reportedly replacing its 9.7-inch iPad with a new entry-level model featuring a 10-inch screen and narrower bezels. This device should launch in the second half of 2019.

Both the new iPad mini and the new 10-inch iPad are reportedly positioned so that Apple can weather the storm of declining iPad sales. A bigger overhaul of the company's iPad Pro lineup should happen in late 2019.