While it’s been rumoured the Apple’s iPad Air 3 will launch this month, the company’s watertight security means that verifiable information is thin on the ground. It’s not even known yet what the next medium-sized iPad will be called. What’s more, it’s been two years since the release of the iPad Air 2, which hints that Apple might be discontinuing the iPad Air model entirely. While Apple did release a 9.7in iPad in March 2016, it wasn’t the successor to the iPad Air 2 that was anticipated, instead a smaller version of the 12.9in iPad Pro, itself a phenomenal tablet.
In August 2016, respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted three new iPads, which he’s now revised as more information has become available. Kuo foresees Apple releasing three iPads over the course of 2017, including a 9.7in “low-cost” iPad sporting an A9 processor, which could be the iPad Air 3. The other two models that Kuo has predicted are a new 10-10.5in iPad Pro, with an A10x chip and featuring ultra-thin bezels, and an upgraded iPad Pro 12 with advanced specs.
In the meantime, we’ve rounded up the rumours about the iPad Air 3 release date, price point, specs and potential features.
iPad Air 3 UK: Release date and price
The last medium-sized iPad we saw from Apple was the iPad Pro, announced in March 2016. This came despite widespread anticipation of the iPad Air 3 being Apple’s new release. Apple announced the iPad Pro at a special event on Monday 21 March 2016. This year, the 21 March falls on a Tuesday, so it’s reasonable to expect a launch on either Monday 20 or Tuesday 21 March. However, despite speculation, it’s not yet be confirmed that the iPad Air 3 will launch then at all, leading to possible confusion as with last year’s unexpected iPad Pro launch.
DigiTimes reports that there might be significant delays in new iPad releases, given that the components for the new devices are still in the planning stage. If this is true, the new generation of iPads won’t be released until the second half of 2017.
There’s a current gap in the market that Apple would do well to fill: the company needs a new affordable tablet in the £300-£400 price range. The 9.7in iPad Pro is fantastic, but a tad too expensive for most, at a hefty £499. That being said, plenty of customers are keen to upgrade current devices including the iPad Air 2 and older-generation iPads. An affordably priced iPad Air 3 would be an ideal product to release for this significant target market.
That being said, the tablet market has been slowing down in recent years, so it’s possible we won’t see a new iPad Air 3 for a while, or at all, if the tablet market doesn’t pick up. On the contrary, argues AppleInsider, the ever-dwindling iPad Air 2 stock suggests an imminent “refresh” in Apple’s lineup, with people eager to get their hands on the newest offering from the company as current stock dries up. The iPad Air 2, the site suggests, will be culled in favour of a new-generation model featuring a faster processor, potentially the iPad Air 3.
Price-wise, if Apple does indeed launch the iPad Air 3 this year, then it’s most likely to cost in the region of £399 for the 32GB Wi-Fi-only model. This would give customers an affordable upgrade alternative without the need to spend £499 on the iPad Pro or downsize to the iPad mini 4.
iPad Air 3 UK: Design
In terms of design, we expect the iPad Air 3 to make a significant departure from its predecessor, the iPad Air 2, particularly given the latter’s differences from its own predecessor, the original iPad Air. Most notably, the iPad Air 2 was considerably lighter and slimmer (6.1mm) than the first iPad Air, which came in at 7.5mm.
And with Apple rumoured to be developing an even stronger aluminium for the next generation of iPads, it’s not unlikely that the incoming devices will be even thinner than their 6.1mm predecessors.
In terms of colour, we predict that the popular Rose Gold colour will make a welcome addition to the existing options of Gold, Silver and Space Grey.
iPad Air 3 UK: Specs and features
There was plenty of information leaked about the supposed iPad Air 3… before it turned out to be the new iPad Pro. Apple’s most recent iPad release, the aforementioned iPad Pro, sports as predicted an A9X chip, Apple Pencil support and a four-speaker audio system. Now that those specs have already debuted in another iPad model, we can’t accurately foresee what new specs the iPad Air 3 will feature.
Apple is known for being formulaic when it comes to their 9.7in iPads, which usually feature a 2,048 x 1,536 resolution and a 264ppi pixel density, so we can predict that the iPad Air 3 will offer these specs.
It’s also quite likely that the iPad Air 3 will feature a more advanced camera as an upgraded spec. That being said, Apple will want to keep the price point down in order to make the iPad Air 3 more appealing to those who are looking for an upgrade, so the camera probably won’t quite rival that of the iPad Pro 9.7in.
We will update this article as and when we find out more about the iPad Air 3. Images: Apple