Apple may soon kill the iPad Mini, report claims

The rumour fits with the fact that the little table hasn't been updated in a long time

Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks displays the new iPad mini after it was unveiled (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

The iPad Mini's days may be numbered.

The little tablet – which was first introduced in 2012 – will not be updated and will eventually be killed off, according to reports.

It's thought to have come under threat as a result of Apple's bigger phones as well as lighter and thinner iPads, which have left the small tablet struggling to justify itself.

It also comes after Apple has left the iPad Mini without updates for an unusually long time. It now offers only one version of the – at this point fairly old – tablet, and sells a bigger version of the same tablet that is actually less expensive.

All of that appeared to point to the discontinuation of the iPad Mini. It will not be updated again and over time it will be phased out and discontinued, according to the report in BGR which cited a source close to Apple.

The report didn't give any details of when the discontinuation might happen or whether there would be any price drops in the future.

Analysts have long predicted that the smaller tablet could be on its way out. But there have also been rumours that Apple has been working on a smaller version of its iPad Pro – which is currently offered in two bigger sizes – that would include the Smart Connector and Apple Pencil support from the bigger models.

Apple is expected to reveal the first major updates to the iPad line at this summer's WWDC, which could include new models that pack in a bigger screen but get rid of the bezels that go around the side.