The smallest in the iOS tablet line will be soon phased out. No further updates will follow the latest iPad Mini model, currently available in 128GB storage configuration, as a new report claims the line will be discontinued and the fourth iteration will serve as the final release.

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Citing an unnamed Apple insider as source, BGR reported Apple will stop the production of 7.9-inch iPad form factor, suggesting too the iPad Mini 4 will be the last of the class. Apple is still selling the compact iOS slate starting at $399. It's unclear if the product will soon disappear from Apple's online and physical stores as well as from the tech giant's retail partners.

But the impending demise of the iPad Mini was not without solid indicators. Apple released the Mini 4 September 2015 and the tablet only got a slight bump recently - its maker decided to discontinue the 32GB variant to focus on the 128GB model, likely in the hopes that sales will pick up.

Apparently buyers still shunned the compact tablet, which when first introduced nearly caused the extinction of the regular 9.7-inch iPad. BGR said its source blamed poor sales for Apple's decision to ax the iPad Mini.

Also, the tablet has been "sized out of its own category," the report added, likely referring to the iPad Mini's awkward situation of being too small when compared against the productivity-optimized regular tablets. The iPad Mini is also seen as too big when pitted against the supersized phablets with screen sizes ranging from 5.5-inch up to 6-inch plus.

And it likewise appears the iPad Mini line has become irrelevant given Apple already has a best-seller in the 5.5-inch iPhone phablet. In comparison, for instance, with the iPhone 7 Plus the Mini tablet is easily out-specced with the additional feature of easier handling for users. So for many would-be buyers, the choice is easy when picking between the iPad Mini and the jumbo iPhone model.

BGR also said the decision to retire the iPad Mini was made to avoid an eventual scenario in which there will be "fierce cannibalism of our own products," the report again quoting the unidentified Apple insider.

Of note too is the upcoming iPhone 8 release, which if rumors are correct will boast of a 6-inch plus screen size with an all-screen profile, certainly killer feature that could only accelerate the impending death that already awaits the iPad Mini.