The iPad Air 3 is still coming - and it's bringing a RAM upgrade
The iPad Air is one of Apple's most popular lines, with the company claiming over 200 million tablets sold in the Air's 9.7in form factor. Fans have been clamouring for a successor to the iPad Air 2 since its launch back in 2014.
Many were expecting the iPad Air 3 to be announced alongside theiPhone 6s in September, or the iPhone SE in March. Instead, however, Apple launched the iPad Pro in both 12.9in and 9.7in flavours.
The fact that Apple released an iPad Pro in the same 9.7in form factor as the iPad Air has led some to speculate that the company will be retiring the Air range in favour of smaller iPad Pro variants.
Apple has yet to confirm whether or not it will be adding to its iPad Air portfolio in the future. Read on to find out everthing we do know about the possibility of a 2016 iPad Air 3.
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iPad Air 3 latest news
17/05/2016: Not only is the iPad Air 3 still slated for launch, it will be arriving with a RAM upgrade, rumours suggest.
Many were expecting Apple to launch the iPad Air 3 alongside the iPhone SE earlier this year, but when the company instead unveiled a 9.7in iPad Pro, some speculated that the iPad Air line was to be quietly retired.
However, according to WCCF Tech, anonymous sources in China have indicated that a successor to the iPad Air 2 is still very much in the pipeline.
More importantly, these sources have claimed that the iPad Air 3 will finally be receiving a much-requested boost in RAM, taking it up to a 3GB allocation.
Rumours also suggest that the Air 3 will see the introduction of the A10X processor as well.
Coupled with Apple's substantial pedigree in software optimisation, these new hardware upgrades could see the iPad Air 3 being the speediest tablet Apple has ever released.
Of course, these rumours are still unconfirmed, and no launch events have been scheduled, so as always, take them with a pinch of salt. Even if they are correct, we're unlikely to see the iPad Air 3 before Autumn 2016 at the very earliest.
21/03/2016: Apple has revealed a new, smaller iPad Pro measuring three inches less than its older brother.
The new model has a 9.7in display, compared to the 12.9in model Apple released in September 2015. The latest model features the same specs as the existing tablet, including an A9X processor, four speakers, and support for the Apple Pencil.
While it does put paid to rumours that an iPad Air 3 would launch tonight, Apple justified its decision to downsize the Pro by pointing out that it has sold 200 million 9.7in tablets, saying it is the most popular size among iPad users.
The new iPad Pro is the brightest tablet available, CEO Tim Cook claimed at Apple's Special Event, saying it is 25 per cent brighter than the iPad Air 2 thanks to its Oxide TFT display.
Its screen also features 'True Tone' technology that adjusts the screen's colour and light output based on its surroundings.
The A9X processor also carries support for the Apple's latest version of Siri, an Always On installment that responds to questions beginning 'Hey, Siri'.
Its front-facing camera is the same powerful 12-megapixel one that the larger iPad Pro features, and lets you take 4k videos as well as offering True Tone flash.
The latest iPad will be available to pre-order from 24 March, before shipping starts on 31 March. Prices start at $599 for the 32GB version, rising to $749 for a 128GB model, before shooting up to $899 for a massive 256GB installment.
11/03/2016: The iPad Air 3 launch date may finally have been revealed as 21 March. On Thursday 10 March, Apple released invitations for a press event at its Infinite Loop campus on that day, where the company is expected to make a significant announcement.
While it would be unusual for the iPad Air 3 to launch in March rather than October, the event is also expected to be the debut for the new iPhone SE, despite the fact iPhones normally launch in the Autumn.
If the iPad Air 3 does appear on 21 March, we can expect it to be in shops at the end of the month.
01/03/2016: Apple's upcoming 9.7-inch version of the iPad Pro - thought to be the actual device that will launch instead of the iPad Air 3 - is rumoured to sport a 12-megapixel rear camera much like the iPhone 6s.
As with the iPad Air 2, the existing 12.9-inch iPad Pro has an eight-megapixel rear camera so, as reported by 9to5Mac, this could be one key difference between the two models.
The tablet will also feature a FaceTime HD camera above the front display, as with all of Apple's recent releases, and will be capable of recording 4K video.
Additionally, reports indicate it will have an A9X processor, an optimised Smart Keyboard cover and support for the Apple Pencil, quad speakers and Smart Connector.
26/02/2016: The iPad Air 3 may not be called by that name when launched this March, as it looks likely that it will sport many features of the iPad Pro.
According to reports from 9to5Mac, Apple will launch a 9.7-inch version of the iPad Pro and this will feature support for the Apple Pencil and a smaller Smart Keyboard.
The new tablet is set to debut at a rumoured event sometime in mid-March. Aside from the size, the device will have the same A9X processor and RAM upgrades as its bigger sibling and there will be an update to the display to support the Apple Pencil.
It will also sport the quad speakers and come in the same colours as the iPad Pro. Sources also told the publication that production of the iPad Mini is set to slow down and the first generation iPad Air would be discontinued.
04/02/2016: Apple has reportedly chosen 15 March as the launch date for the iPad Air 3.
The company’s newest tablet will launch at a special event alongside new Apple Watch bands and the 4-inch iPhone 5se, according to 9to5Mac.
The announcement would mark the first new tablet since last year’s iPad Pro, and the first update to the iPad Air range since 2014.
The newest iteration is expected to borrow certain features from the Pro, which boasts higher specs, including more powerful speaker technology and a smart keyboard.
Support could also be included for the Apple Pencil – currently sold separately to the iPad Pro.
02/02/2016: A new leaked drawing of the iPad Air 3 has landed online, showing the device to have similar dimensions to that of the iPad Air 2.
According to the image, posted first by Engadget, Apple's next tablet will be 6.15mm thick and 169.6mm wide, which is only 0.05mm thicker and 0.1mm wider than its predecessor.
The drawing notably also features the rumoured quad speaker design and the smart connector port, supporting previous reports of their inclusion. It also appears to be sporting a hole for LED flash below the camera.
28/01/2016: The Apple iPad Air 3 could come with a stylus, according to sources speaking to 9to5mac. The website claims Apple has been testing the accessory, known as the Apple Pencil, on a 9.3in screen device, which is slightly smaller than the thus far rumoured 9.7in of the iPad Air 3, but still well within the realms of possibility.
Currently, the Pencil is exclusively compatible with the iPad Pro, but that doesn't rule out the possibility that Apple will roll it out more widely with new, full-size iPads, such as the iPad Air 3. Indeed, in our review of the tablet, we found it to be "easily one of the best things about the iPad Pro".
26/01/2016: French tech website NowhereElse has unearthed what it claims are schematics for the new iPad Air 3. The plan (see below) only shows the rear of the alleged device, which is rumoured to launch this March alongside the 4in iPhone 6c/iPhone 5se.
Nevertheless, it shows some interesting features, including two speakers on the bottom and another two on the top, as seen on the iPad Pro.
It also shows an integrated flash on the rear of the camera, which NowhereElse editor Steve Hemmerstoffer described as "an element that seems superfluous, if not completely useless on this type of device". Indeed, Hemmerstoffer urged some caution with regard to the validity of this schematic.
"I am not, unfortunately, able to guarantee the reliability of this source 100 per cent," he said. "I have previously received three leaks from this person. Two of these indiscretions turned out, in time, to be correct but the last one turned out to be completely wrong."
Image Credit: NowhereElse
05/01/2016: Rumours about Apple's iPad Air 3 continue to emerge, including a potential March launch date alongside the iPhone 6c later this year, according to The Christian Post.
Details of potential specs also appear in the publication, which suggests the device could have a 9.7-inch 4K display and screen resolution of 2334 x 3112.
It is also rumoured the third-generation iPad Air will sport an A9X processor and between 2GB to 4GB RAM.
Again, Apple 3D Touch has not yet made an appearance on the rumour mill, suggesting it may not be a feature of Apple's next tablet.
18/12/2015: It looks like Apple's 3D Touch technology won't be part of its plans for the iPad Air 3.
According to an investor’s note obtained by Apple Insider, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that problems in the supply chain would prevent the technology coming to the tablet. Kuo said 3D Touch was “one of the most severe production bottlenecks in iPhone 6s supply chain.”
The iPad Air 3 still looks set to be released in early 2016 with March looking increasingly like the most probable month of launch.
11/12/2015: Following price cuts over the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend of up to $150 on the iPad Air 2, rumours have been swirling over the possibility of the iPad Air 3 making its debut sometime early in 2016, according to reports by IBT.
The publication also speculates that the new iPad Air 3 will have an 8-megapixel rear camera and a fingerprint scanner like the iPhone 5s upwards. The publication also believes that the device will be launched with a price tag of $610.
05/11/2015: Just 17 per cent of people plan to buy a tablet in the next 12 months, according to a new survey conducted by analyst house Gartner.
This is because, as applications still work well with older generations of tablets, consumers are less likely to want to buy a replacement device, leading to the number of new devices in the market falling, said analyst Meike Escherich.
More than two-thirds of US households have a tablet, according to Gartner's survey of 19,000 people from the US, France, UK, China, Brazil and India, but the number of new buyers is likely to drop.
Escherich said: "Unless new compelling innovation or incentives to upgrade tablets are created, the churn of the mature installed base will continue to fall."
06/10/2015: According to Chinese publication MyDrivers the new iPad Air 3, when it launches, will retain the 9.7in display size but will see a bump in resolution up to 2334 x 3112 pixels at around 401ppi. The battery size may also decrease, in line with the new iPhones, as well. This could be down to the increased resolution, a thinner chassis or perhaps even an IPX7 waterproofing certificate.
09/09/2015: As rumoured, the iPad Air Pro 3 failed to make an appearance at Apple's special event this evening. Instead, the company revealed a 12.9in iPad Pro, which goes on sale in November.
This doesn't mean the iPad Air 3 is dead in the water, however. It is now thought the new model of its ultra-light tablet will launch in either summer or autumn 2016.
17/08/15: Those anticipating a successor to last year’s iPad Air 2 might have to wait a little while longer – new rumours suggest that it might not be coming this September after all.
Wide speculation previously suggested that the new tablet would arrive at Apple’s forthcoming September event, which will almost certainly see the launch of the new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
However, new information suggests that this will not be the case. According to DigiTimes, the company is putting its next Air tablet on the back burner, in order to focus on the iPad Mini 4.
Supply chain companies are apparently already gearing up for the device, lending credence to the news that it could be unveiled in September. It is also set to be a comparatively minor upgrade to the previous model.
DigiTimes cited anonymous “industry sources”, who link the decision to declining sales in the tablet market that have seen component manufacturers seek contracts in other sectors.
The latest rumour chimes with prior leaks about the next iPad Air, and suggests that the iPad air could be shelved in favour of the iPad Pro for this year.
iPad Air 3 release date
Over the past few years, Apple has been consistent in launching a new iPad in autumn, giving the company a good run-up to the Christmas period. In 2015, however, the company launched another iPad - the massive iPad Pro, which you can read more about here.
It followed that up in March, not with an iPad Air 3, but with a smaller iPad Pro, in the same size as the Air range. There is now little to suggest when - or even if - Apple will launch a new iPad Air, but if it does have one in the pipeline, the next likely date is Autumn 2016.
September and October have almost always been Apple's chosen months for major hardware launches, as it gives the company a substantial run-up to the Christmas period.
iPad Air 3 price
The iPad Air has typically cost around £399 for the entry level model at launch, and it's unlikely the iPad Air 3 will be any different - providing, that is, that there's still a 16GB version (which there isn't for the Pro). If the entry level jumps to 32GB, the starting price could be a little over £400.
iPad Air 3 specs and features
The launch of the 9.7in iPad Pro threw many for a loop, as it would initially appear to make the Air range somewhat irrelevant. However, the two could still co-exist if Apple slims down the Air even further.
Longstanding rumours suggest the iPad Air 3 will be even thinner than the iPad Air 2, which is just 6.1mm thick itself. This would require a smaller battery pack and various other design tweaks to pull off, but could be possible if Apple sacrifices some of the Pro's flashier features.
This would leave the Air range as Apple's super-lightweight hyperportable tablets, while leaving the slightly thicker and more powerful iPad Pro range to do the heavy lifting.
This article was originally published on 16/01/15 and has been updated several times (most recently on 28/04/16) to reflect new information.
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