Even though it's long overdue, there's no word yet on the iPad Mini 5 release date, specs and price. Back when its predecessor was announced in September, 2015, it quickly gained foothold as one of the best mini-tablets in the market.

According to recent rumors, the iPad Mini 5 might be launched in March, 2017, which is the same month the iPad Pro shipped.

Historically, the iPad Mini, iPad Mini 2 and iPad Mini 3 were all unveiled in September. So the October launch last year was a bit of an outlier. Rumors are saying that the release date for the iPad Mini 5 would be this month based on last year's launch alone.

Fans were hoping that the iPad Mini 5 release date would have been announced during the unveiling of the iPhone 7 on Sept. 7. However, the event came and went without a peep about the supposed tablet, even less so its specs and price.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has developed quite a reputation for predicting the release date of Apple products, has said that the company will be rolling out three iPads next year. However, he did not mention the 7.9-inch iPad Mini 5. There are also rumors that the tablet will be integrated into the Pro brand.

Again, don't expect Apple to substantiate all or any of these rumors, as the company has always been secretive about its products, regardless of all the misinformation being spread online.

Watch out for more rumors on the iPad Mini 5 specs and release date, which will be published here when they come along.