As the tablet market keeps evolving, companies like Apple are trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t, and what kinds of products people actually want to see. The iPad Air line was quite popular when it was launched, as the devices offered a nice set of features for their dimensions, and they did a nice job promoting Apple’s idea for more compact hardware.
And now, people are actively asking about the future of the line and what Apple are planning to do next. There are various rumors about the iPad Air 3 and what it could bring to the table, but so far nothing has been said in a more concrete manner by the company and we’re mostly kept in the dark. There are of course plenty of rumors going around, but that is pretty typical for an upcoming major release by Apple.
One of the more interesting rumors that we’ve seen lately is that the company is apparently planning to bring the next iPad Air out on the market sooner than expected. Although it’s probably a bit subjective to talk about expectations here as many people were already hopeful to see the tablet in September, so for some it’s actually coming with a delay.
If these rumors are true, then we could be looking at an early 2016 release for the tablet. This could be a bit out of character for Apple given their release history, but in the end the only thing that decides when they bring their devices to the market is the market itself. Apple know their audience and they know what people want to see, so if they have calculated that the market attitude towards another entry in the iPad Air line is right, then they would probably make the release indeed.
Other than the release date, there are also some rumors about the specifications that the tablet could offer, and it sounds like they could be aiming to make it a more powerful device than previous entries in the line. Traditionally, the iPad Air has always been about offering a slim, lightweight form factor at the expense of performance, but the company has generally been able to find a good balance between the two ends. Now, it sounds like they could be aiming to improve the performance aspect to some extent, but hopefully this won’t come at the expense of the tablet’s signature light weight and slim body.
That doesn’t seem to be the case though, as there are also rumors that Apple are going to make the next iPad Air even lighter and more portable. It would indeed be interesting to see if they will be able to make an improvement on both fronts at once, as until now developments on one side have generally come at the expense of the other. As technology keeps getting better though, it definitely seems plausible that they could get both parts right.
And while many sites are now reporting on those rumors and people keep speculating very actively, there has been no word from Apple themselves. The company is known for their secretive approach to their developments, and it’s no surprise that they have been keeping a low tone in all of this, but if they really do have something planned for the next few months, the announcement shouldn’t be too far off now. We expect that they would say something by the end of January if that’s the case.