iPad Air 3 Release Date, Specs, Pricing Update: Better than iPad Pro?

By Rhea Pruto
iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 leaked photo
iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 leaked image. Photo: 9to5mac.com

The iPad Air 2 was released in October 2014, so an upgrade for the iPad Air is long overdue. With the iPad Air 3 potentially releasing on March 15, here are the latest roundups of its rumored specs and features, as well as the pricing of the 3rd generation iPad Air. 

Multiple guesses around the internet have been made on what the iPad 3 may come equipped with. Some claimed that iPad 3 will be at par with iPad Pro. There are also some who believe that as this is going to be the newest iPad, the third generation iPad 3 will have a massive upgrade on its performance and perform better than the Pro. The Inquisitr released some of these rumored specs. 

Smart Connector Port 

According to Inquisitr, the iPad Air 3 might now come with a Smart Connector Port that the iPad Pro already has. With the Smart Connector Port, users can now attach accessories they want to enhance their usage, such as a keyboard. 

Enhanced Speaker System and Led Flash

Rumors have it too that the iPad Air 3 might come equipped with an even improved speaker system with four separate units. The rear cameras might also have an LED flash. If this tidbit is true, iPad 3 certainly stands above the rest, since this is a feature not yet seen on any iPad model.

Design

According to Pocket Now, iPad Air 3 might be a cross between iPad Pro and Air 2. It might be a bit thicker than the Pro and yet not much larger than the Air 2. If a Smart Connector and several speaker ports will be included in the new model, it is expected that the iPad Air 3 will be 0.05 mm thicker and 0.1 mm wider than the Air 2. 

Newer OS

Reports predict that the iPad 3 will come with iOS 9 installed but can also be upgraded to iOS 10. The iOS 10 is expected to be announced in June and probably released in September, also the month when iPhone 7 is rumored to be released. 

3D Touch

Unfortunately, Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst from KGI Securities, does not believe the new iPad Air will have a 3D Touch, even if the current iPhone models already have this feature. 

Processing Power

With the Air 2 being powered by the A8X, many believe that the Air 3 will be powered by the A9X chip. This chip is already found in the iPad Pro. If this is true, the battery life of the Air 3 will be significantly higher than its predecessors. It is predicted that one charge can lead to ten hours of usage. 

Pricing 

Since Apple is known to just stick with the pricing system of a product's predecessor, it is expected that the iPad Air 3 will be priced at $499 (16GB), $599 (64GB), and $699 (128 GB). 

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