Apple iPad mini 4 Release Date; Leaked Specs Reveal A8X Chip, iPad Air 2-like Design
Apple iPad mini 4 Expected to Launch October 2015 or Early

The new Apple iPad mini 3 has not generated as much excitement as expected from consumers. The lower-than-average reception of the new miniature version of iPad was mainly due to a lack of any significant upgrades from its predecessor.

In order to keep the love alive for its iPads among consumers, Apple is reportedly readying the next mini version of iPad, the iPad mini 4, with significant upgrades customers failed to witness in the iPad mini 3, Mac Rumors suggests.

According to the publication, the rumored successor of iPad mini 3 will feature a faster A8X processor coupled with an upgraded 2GB RAM. The new chip will be Apple's first to be based on a 128-bit architecture, AnandTech reports. In terms of the iPad mini 4 design, the Cupertino tech giant is likely to take a page from the successful iPad Air 2, which ensures a thinner, lighter and more stylish outlook.

It is too early to predict the exact details of the iPad mini 4, as it has only been a few months since the iPad mini 2 hit the market. The iPad mini 3 was widely criticized for its display. DisplayMate's Raymond Soneira said, "It continues with a moderately high screen Reflectance of 6.5 percent, almost triple that of its favored littermate, which further washes out its image colors in ambient light."

The iPad mini 3's major upgrades were the inclusion of a finger touch scanner and a golden hue. Besides that, almost everything remained unchanged. The company rushed to launch the iPad mini 3 to stem the declining interest of consumers in this category. According to Localytics, iPad mini 2's share of total iPad devices was just 5 percent as of September, Mac Rumors reported. Hopefully, Apple upgrades the display on the iPad mini 3 successor, which should attract a greater audience.

The iPad mini 4 will bring new upgrades that customers want to see. Apple will most likely launch the iPad mini 4 sometime mid-2015 but there are strong hints of an October 2015 release too.