There have been sporadic suggestions in the recent past that the iPad Mini is overdue for a complete design change and Apple may make these announcements soon. If one goes by a leak with images supposed to be that of the new iPad Mini, there seems to be a number of changes under consideration by Apple.
The image could be That of a Prototype
All manufacturers of electronic devices do manufacture prototypes of products they propose to build and some may be adopted as the final design, whereas many others may get discarded. This image must be approached with a similar objective.
One visible change appears to be the design of the antenna. The image shows a rectangular antenna which is quite different from the design seen in the existing iPad Mini 4. The other difference seen is in the color of the device itself. A shade of gold is seen on these leaked images. Though gold is one of the colors in which the current models of iPads are sold as well, some variations in the shade of the gold colored devices by Apple can be seen on this image too. Gray and Silver are the other colors in which the iPads are sold. That may continue.
Some Features are the Same
If you were searching for what other features can be noticed from these images, some have not been altered. These include the volume button that is on top and there is the 3.5 mm jack for the headset. There are two speakers and not more and the provision for the connector suggests that it will be a Lightning connector and not USB-C. When the device is getting a thorough uplift, expect a better processor to be fitted and the display may be modeled on the latest bezel-free full-screen design.
It is predicted that Apple wants to make these large-scale changes to the iPad Mini and position it as a budget segment tablet. This means the price of the new iPad Mini 5 may be priced around the same $350-$400 marks.