Apple has remarkably skipped this year in releasing a new iPad Air. But in lieu of the standard 9.7-inch device, the company did release the much-awaited iPad Pro and a new generation iPad mini – the iPad mini 4.
The decreasing tablet sales probably made the American tech giant decide to halt the annual release of the tablet. However, the tech giant is surely not leaving the iPad Air series just like that.
In fact, according to Min-Chi Kou of KGI Securities, tech geeks should expect the iPad Air 3 to come out as early as March next year.
Along with the iPad Air 3, Apple will reportedly launch the Apple Watch 2 and the iPhone 6C. Apple has yet to confirm these rumors so it’s best to take these speculations with a pinch of salt.
However, some reports say that the launching event is a huge possibility as it follows the trend with what the tech firm did with last year’s iPad Air 2.
The device was launched alongside the iPad mini 3 last year so launching a new Apple Watch and another 4-inch iPhone along with the iPad Air 3 seems like something Apple would do.
The second generation Apple Watch is said to be equipped with a sleep tracker, improved health sensors, a better battery life, and will be less dependent on the iPhone, unlike its predecessor.
If the smart wearable will indeed be released by March next year, then those who want to get their hands on it can expect that it will begin shipping by April.
As for the iPhone 6C, the device is rumored to be the company’s latest budget phone and the successor of the iPhone 5C, meaning it will also come in many color options.
The next generation of the iPad Air has been making news lately because of the fact that it will not have the 3D Touch feature.
As per Kou, the newest addition to the iPad Air line won’t be using the 3D Touch for practical reasons. The analyst believes that 3D Touch supply chain, which is currently below 30% utilization, won’t be able to meet the device’s demand.
Apparently, the 3D Touch production is falling behind needs for the company’s current flagship phones, the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6S Plus.
The loss of the 3D Touch feature makes some enthusiasts now wonder what makes the iPad Air 3 different from its predecessor.
The iPad Air 2 was released over a year ago and comes running with an A8X processor chip and 2GB RAM, making it the first iPad to have more than 1GB of RAM.
Apple is doing its best to refresh the 9.7-inch iPad line by next year and it is also important to note that the iPad Pro doesn’t have the 3D Touch capability so this should not discourage interested buyers to get their hands on the upcoming iPad Air 3.
Earlier reports suggest that the device will come running on an A9X processor, the same one found on the iPad Pro as well as having the latest operating system, iOS 9.
The device is also said to have an improved camera although the quality increase, in terms of megapixels, has yet to be disclosed.
Macworld UK reports that the upcoming device will be thinner than the iPad Air 2 giving it a more sophisticated appearance.
The iPad Air 2 is already 6.1mm thick so if the upcoming device will be thinner than that, it would require a smaller battery pack and various other design tweaks to make it possible.
Typically, the iPad Air comes in three variants depending on the storage capacity. Although reports indicate that the iPad Air 3 might skip the usual 16GB version and jump to the 32GB and the 128GB variants just like what the company did with the iPad Pro.