iPad Air 3, iPad Mini 5 Release Date, Specs Rumors: Apple Next iPad Models Expected To Be Water & Dust Resistant, Sport New A9 Processors

By Jomar Endriga
Apple September 9th Event iPad Pro, iPad Mini
Apple September 9th Event iPad Pro, iPad Mini

In September last year, Apple users were eagerly waiting for the successor of the iPad Air 2. However, the tech giant had only launched the iPad Mini 4 and the bigger feature-packed iPad Pro models. That time, it was speculated that the iPad Air 3's development was put on hold to give way to the company's 12.9-inch slate. Now, new reports suggest that the next iPad Air will be unveiled on March. Meanwhile, the next iteration of Apple's more portable tablet line, the iPad Mini 5, is expected to come a little, later on, September.

Apple both announced and released the iPad mini 4 to the market on September 9 last year when the company hosted a successful event to show off the iPhone 6s, the iPhone 6s Plus, and the new Apple TV aside from the iPad Pro. The move to unwrap a new iPad Mini during September is somewhat surprising given that the original iPad Mini and all its current versions were all launched at October Apple events.

In 2015, the Cupertino-based tech company did not have an October event. Instead, it added a new one in March where new Mac laptops and the Apple Watch were introduced. MacWorld predicts that Apple is once again planning a March 2016 event when the iPad Air 3 is slated to arrive along with an updated Apple Watch. The same could not be said of the iPad Mini 5 as it is more likely to be launched in September, adhering to Apple's usual release schedule.

When it comes to specifications, users can expect that the iPad Air 3 would not be sporting the famous 3D Touch feature found on the iPhone 6s. According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who have leaked a number of reliable Apple-related information in the past, the iPad Air 3 could bring a new dimension to the multi-touch interface, but 3D Touch will not be among the device's features, citing production issues. Kuo mentioned that the production of the said feature was one of the reasons why Apple faced bottleneck issues in the iPhone 6s' supply chain.

The rumored iPad Air 3 will supposedly carry a 9.7-inch display coupled with an incredibly sharp 4K screen resolution. It could come with an A9X processor under the hood, backed by either 2GB or 4GB RAM. In the photography department, it will come fitted with an 8-megapixel primary camera unit along with the 2.1-megapixel front-facing shooter. Users can look forward to a fingerprint sensor on the home button. However, the upcoming model's battery is said to be decreased from the 7,340 mAh battery of the present iPad Air 2.

The iPad Mini 5, on the other hand, is not expected to receive an update on its 8-megapixel and 1.2-megapixel rear and front camera combo. Its processor will likely be improved to the newer A9 chip so that users can enjoy a considerable bump in performance and graphics.

At 5mm, both the iPad Air 3 and iPad mini 5 will be even thinner than the models they will be replacing. Cult of Mac suggests that a thinner design would be made possible by a new, smaller battery. The Apple-focused tech site also claims that the next iPads could be waterproof and dust-resistant. For instance, the iPad mini 5 could don a different chassis, this time made with 7000-series aluminum like the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus in order to make it more durable and help prevent the tablet from bending.


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