The wait for Apple's next iPad Air continues as previous speculations proved to be false. The iPad Air 2, released in October 2014, has since been the Cupertino giant's latest Air slate, and with the arrival of the iPad Pro, followers are questioning whether or not the market could still hope for an iPad Air 3.
Nevertheless, an October 2016 appearance is still reasonable, with concept renders seemingly unstoppable. Take for instance the vision of designer Geert van Uffelen, which pegs the next iPad Air to pack features such as 3D Touch, Apple Pencil support, 7000 Series Aluminium, water resistance, smart connector, better sound quality and Touch ID 2.0.
At this point, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro has the highest resolution in any iOS device, while its 12.7-inch sibling sets its record as the brightest and least reflective on the planet, Apple says. The latter is also the company's most advanced display to date, so it can be tricky to predict how an iPad Air 3 will carve a name for itself. It is, after all, an Air device, and could appeal to existing lineup users. Followers would remember that rumors about the next iPad Air have been around since 2015.
So what's been said about the iPad Air 3? To begin with, it's purported to be thinner than the iPad Air 2, Macworld notes. Recall that the first iPad Air is thinner than the iPad 4, while the iPad Air 2 is thinner than its predecessor - at 6.1mm. Apple already calls this "impossibly thin," so we could only wonder how the next Air tablet will look like.
Inside its seemingly impossible form is an A9X processor, the same chip packed in the iPad Pro, Trusted Reviews cites. In terms of display, the tablet is also reported to measure just like its predecessor (9.7 inches), but upgrade with a resolution of 3,112 x 2,334, amounting to 401ppi. This is clearly a big jump from the previous iPad Airs' 2,048 x 1,536 resolution (264ppi).
The iPad Air 3 is also touted to have four speakers, as seen in concepts, as well as a rear flash to support an 8MP shooter. With pricing, reports have it that it will cost similar to the iPad Air 2 at launch, which currently sells from $399.
