November last year, the supposed release of the iPad Air 3 was postponed to avoid direct rivalry between the Apple iPad Pro. Now, the newest member of the iPad Air family is slated to be unveiled on March, featuring a new processor and ultra-thin body.
According to Tech Times, a month after December 2015, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo revealed that the iPad Air 3 would be released within the first half of 2016. But upon its debut, it will not be coming with the 3D Touch feature that was first introduced in the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
Kuo also confirmed that while the iPad Air 3 is publicized as the device that could bring a new dimension to the multi-touch interface, the 3D Touch will not be among the tablet's specs due to production problems. He also added that the production for the 3D touch is one of the most severe jams that the American tech company faced in the supply chain of the iPhone 6s.
Additionally, it is also reported that the iPad Air 3 will have a thickness of only 5 millimeters and an IP rating for water and dust resistance. When it comes to the battery, the upcoming device will have the original 7,340 mAh battery of the iPad Air 2 reduced.
According to Latin Post, the screen on the iPad Air 3 will likely stay the same size of 9.7 inches. The resolution may be enhanced from 2,048x1,536 pixels to a 4K display and run the latest version of the iOS operating system. If the Air is released before fall, it would still be running a version of iOS 9, but if it comes out later in the year, it will most likely run iOS 10.
Apart from that, the new device is also slated to house a new chipset. It was noted that the iPad Air 2 has the Apple A8X chip, but the A9 and A9X chips have already replaced those. This means that the iPad Air 3 could be the first device to be armed with the brand new A10 chip.
As for the RAM, the iPad Air 3 could boost from the 2 GB found in the iPad Air 2 to 3 GB of RAM. The iPad Pro has 4 GB of RAM, but it is a premium tablet meant for more advanced use.
Moreover, Christian Post reported that the iPad Air 3 might have 16GB, 32 GB, and 128 GB internal storage variants. When it comes to the cameras, this device will reportedly come with a 13-megapixel rear shooter and a 5-megapixel front snapper. A fingerprint sensor may also be included in the device.
As the company remains mum, there is still a possibility for Apple to put the iPad Air line on hold indefinitely, contrary to the speculations of iPad Air 3's March launch. As of this writing, announcements are still awaited from the tech giant.
