Mmmbeats

https://www.pocket-lint.com/tv/news/panasonic/143217-panasonic-ces-2018-press-conference-how-to-watch-it

The GH5 is an excellent professional tool, and will remain so when this partner version comes out.

I think you might be missing the point I'm trying to make. It's not that the GH series are not professional tools (I use them on most shoots, and make my living that way!).
It's about an economy of scale. The only way Panny can make a 2k-ish camera work financially is for it to have a wide global reach.
We occupy quite a blinkered filmmaker bubble, and assume that other users share our obsessions. But Joe in his garage is probably a more typical Panasonic customer than you or I, and he's never heard of Zacutto, etc.
I just feel like this camera is going to be niche marketed in a slightly different way from its siblings.
Eta this was in response to an earlier post by @jonpais

I don't know of any other M43 chips that fit that size that has been touted and since we already know the GH5 uses a Sony sensor, it seems logical unless the Daleks are behind all of this.
Starvis for the restofus!

@Neumann Films less than four hours to go...  ;-) 

Or at least that is true for Orangenz and I!

Or maybe he is saying it going to have amazing sound! ;-)

With easy to access audio controls, TA3F inputs with P48, TC I/O, and analogue limiters all built in. 
 

Not the craziest theory I've read!

This is how I imagine Panasonic's consumer department has been conversing:
Enlightened Panny consumer bod: This GH4 is great - but it's a video-centric camera, and it's only real weakness is low-light situations.  Let's fix that for the GH5.
Panny corporation:  Sounds good,  How do we do that?
Enlightened Panny:  Well, we lower the pixel count and...
Cautious Panny consumer bod:  Woah, hold on there!  Yes, the GH series is video-centric, but this is still a consumer unit.  We absolutely need to appeal to stills buyers as well, and they want to see more not less megapixels.
Corporation:  Hmmm... tough one!  Well I can't give you both what you want.  Or can I?  How about we split the range - a hybrid camera for the masses, a stills oriented version, and a super video oriented version.
Panny Professional division bod:  Woah, hold on there!  I couldn't help overhearing.  Just how super video orientated are we talking here?  I don't know if any of you read our memos at all?  You know - about the EVA - the big super charged video camera we're going to be launching right after your launch window!  You sure you're not gonna be cannibalising our sales?
Corporation:  Hmmm... I see where you're coming from.  Okay - let's stagger the whole thing.  We do the GH5 as normal, and the stills version; then we give the EVA a bit of room to breathe; and then we do the video version after that.  Might have to delay a bit so as not to piss off the GH5 purchasers too much.  Agreed?
All:  Agreed! 

Intriguing!

Intriguing!