Apple brought two iPad models, the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3, to the market in October this year. The devices were received with much anticipation, churning rumor mills before the launch. Needless to say, the Cupertino giant has maximized its prominence not only in the tablet industry, but also in the smartphone arena, through the unveiling of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus one month earlier.

At this point, we've been hearing talks about the upcoming iPad Air Plus / iPad Pro, iPhone 6S / iPhone 7, sixth-generation iPod touch, among other Apple devices. But little has been said surrounding the company's possible sequel to the iPad Mini 3. Naturally, that would be called the iPad Mini 4.

Hence, we've curated all the industry speculations pointed at this probable successor -- and compared them to the marks already established by its parent flagship.

Release Date

Before we dive into specs, let it be known that the iPad Mini 4 is expected to launch sometime in the middle of 2015. This is according to International Business Times, which also reported that there are "hints" of an October 2015 release. The latter, of course, coincides with Apple's recent take on the iPad Mini 3.

Processor

The loudest thing there is about the iPad Mini 4 is it's alleged processor. As told by Time, the device has been suggested to pack an A8X processor, the type currently found in the iPad Air 2. The processor was noted to have a 128-bit memory bus, which would require two memory chips to maximize its bandwidth potential.

If the reports hold truth, the new iPad is in definite advantage over the iPad Mini 3. That's because the latter is powered by an A7 chip with 64-bit architecture, including M7 motion coprocessor.

Memory

IBT wrote that the iPad Mini 4's RAM has been upgraded to 2 GB. Predecessor iPad Mini 3 only had 1 GB of RAM, as noted by GSMArena. The device arrived in 16 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB storage options.

Design

According to AppAdvice, the iPad Mini 4 is expected to feature a "thinner profile." Time called it an industrial design that's "thinner and lighter." MacRumors described the rumored device as "closely" resembling the latest iPad Air, which at the time of writing, should mean the iPad Air 2.

That said, we can't say that the iPad Mini 3 is analogically thick. The device arrived with the following dimensions: 7.87 in x 5.3 in x 0.29 in. That's a depth of 7.5 mm. It weighs 331 g.

For more information about the iPad Mini 3, head over here. DetroitBORG's overview of the device is posted below.