iPad Air 3 release date, news and rumors
Update: The iPad Air 3 is MIA and didn’t arrive in 2015, when we expected. Apple giving it extra time to brew should allow the iPad Air 3 to be even more impressive. It may even have a similar speaker set up to the iPad Pro.
With the iPad Air 2, we said that Apple had taken the perfect tablet and somehow made it even better. So where does it go from there? Well, hopefully it does the same thing again.
We’d expected to see the iPad Air 3 in 2015, but instead we were treated to the iPad Pro. So by the time the iPad Air 3 does arrive the iPad Air 2 is likely to be getting pretty old, as such we’re hopeful that we could see a big jump in tech and features.
The processor will obviously get a boost for one, and for better or worse it’s entirely possible that it will get even slimmer and lighter than the iPad Air 2 – although is there anywhere for Apple to go in making this tablet even thinner?
Then there are things we’d like to see, but are less likely, such as 32GB becoming the smallest size. For now we don’t have much to go on, but with it possibly not arriving until late 2016 there should be plenty more time for leaks and rumors to roll in.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? The next super-thin tablet from Apple.
- When is it out? We’re expecting a release this year, when exactly isn’t clear though.
- What will it cost? Top end with an expensive price tag – not as much as the iPad Pro though.
iPad Air 3 release date
Initially we expected the iPad Air 3 to launch in 2015 but instead Apple gave us the iPad Pro and iPad Mini 4. And to be honest, that kept us satisfied. The iPad Pro feels like an innovative, new product while the iPad Mini 4 is a big improvement upon the iPad Mini 3.
Rumor is that Apple wanted to hold off releasing the third iteration of the iPad Air as it didn’t want to overload consumers with too many different choices.
The latest rumor comes from Chinese technology site MyDrivers that claims to have sources pointing toward a March 2016 release date. There are also rumours of an Apple Watch 2 event scheduled for the same month, so it may make sense for Apple to announce both products at the same time.
But at the moment there’s no hard evidence suggesting the iPad Air 3 will be launching in the first half of 2016. If it doesn’t it’ll be a shame as we’d like to see it before the launch of the iPhone 7, which is rumored for September.
iPad Air 3 design
Rumors of the iPad Air 3 haven’t really mentioned design all that much yet. We expect that’s something Apple wants to keep close to its chest, but we also don’t expect any major changes in the design department.
It’s likely Apple will keep the same size tablet and may trim it down a little bit more to make it thinner. But the iPad Air 2 is already thin enough, so maybe it’s not worth Apple trying to cut more fat when it could offer us an improved battery or higher spec under the hood.
One leak suggested the iPad Air 3 will come with a similar speaker set up to the iPad Pro. It would mean four speakers surrounding the tablet to make for a better movie watching experience than the two speakers on the iPad Air 2 provided.
That rumor was backed up by an iPad Air 3 case has appeared on Chinese retailer site Alibaba. It shows off the four speaker set up that has been rumored as well as a space for the magnetic powered Smart Connector for whenever you want to connect up something like a keyboard accessory.
There’s also an LED flash cut out from the back of the tablet suggesting the long rumoured feature will be real though. That said, there’s no official word these renders are based on real evidence and it could be that it’s all based on rumor.
There will likely be a 9.7-inch screen again but we’d expect to see some improvements in that area as well. 3D Touch technology like we’ve seen on the Apple Watch and iPhone 6S may come on the iPad Air 3.
Rumored specs from site MyDrivers suggested it may come with a 4K screen resolution of 2334 x 3112. That sounds a bit far from the iPad Air 2 and its 1536 x 2048 screen resolution but we’ll have to wait and see.
Then there’s the shooter – not many people focus on the camera possibilities of the iPad Air, but the new version is rumored to stick with an 8MP sensor and add in an LED flash to make it easier taking night shots.
iPad Air 3 rivals
Apple is its own worst enemy here – all the big competitors to the iPad Air 3 are other tablets made by Apple. You’re covered by the iPad range whether you want something a little smaller or even a little bigger as well.
There’s the iPad Mini 4 from Apple that comes with an upgraded processor and a gorgeous 7.9-inch screen. It’s one of the most portable and light tablets on the market right now.
If you’re looking for bigger; it’s the iPad Pro. This comes with a huge 12.9-inch display and a very powerful A9X processor under the hood. It will cost you a little bit extra though as this tablet doesn’t come cheap.
Then there’s a lot of Android competition out there as well with the likes of the Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet, Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 and the Google Pixel C looking for your attention.
iPad Air 3 power and OS
There are some things about the iPad Air 3 which we can be fairly confident about. For one thing it’s likely to run iOS 10, though iOS 9 is always possible if it arrives sooner rather than later.
iOS 9 brings improvements to Siri and Apple Maps, true multitasking for iPads, a new keyboard and more. So look forward to all that on the iPad Air 3 at a minimum. If it has iOS 10 that’s sure to bring even more new features, but what form they’ll take remains to be seen.
The iPad Air 3 is also sure to get a newer, faster processor. The iPad Air 2 has an A8X chip, but we’re already up to the A9X on the iPad Pro, so we’d expect that at a minimum and quite possibly an A10 chip.
There’s a good chance we’ll get more RAM too. The iPad Air 2 has 2GB of RAM, but Apple has since launched the iPad Pro with 4GB. As the name suggests though the Pro is aimed at more serious productivity, so the Air 3 might not have that much, but 3GB wouldn’t seem unreasonable.
Expect Touch ID to make a return as well. Some early rumors also suggest an improved 13MP rear camera with an LED flash, while others claim the iSight camera could be between 5 and 8 megapixels.
Carry on over to the next page to discover what we’d like to see from the iPad Air 3.
What we want to see
1. Ditch the 16GB size
With the iPad Air 2 Apple got rid of the 32GB option and offered 64GB for the same price. That was much appreciated but oddly a 16GB model was still in play.
Given how big many apps are now getting and the fact that no iPad is ever going to offer expandable storage that just doesn’t really cut it, especially if you want to store videos, games and music on your slate too, which is half the fun of having one. So we’d like to see Apple finally abandon the 16GB size and make 32GB the smallest.
2. Better slow motion video
Any regular readers will know we’re not the biggest fans of cameras on tablets, but if you’re going to include a feature at least do it right, which Apple hasn’t really done with slow motion video on the iPad Air 2.
It’s an option, but it’s capped at 120fps, which just doesn’t cut it when the less powerful iPhone 6 can reach 240fps. So we want twice the frames and twice the smoothness on the iPad Air 3, which can actually use the feature better as it’s got that larger viewfinder.
3. Bring back the silencer
While the iPad Air 2 is a better device in most ways than the iPad Air, one thing changed for the worse. We’re talking of course about the removal of the silencing switch.
Technically it’s not needed any more, as silencing the tablet is easily achievable through Control Center, but having a switch was much, much easier so we’d like to see it come back for the iPad Air 3.
4. Don’t make it any thinner
There’s a worrying trend among smartphone and tablet makers to create ever slimmer devices. There’s no denying that slimmer slates can look better and be more portable, but the most extreme examples are slightly ludicrous, not to mention impractical, as they force batteries to be shrunk and hamper the device’s durability.
At 6.1mm thick the iPad Air 2 is right on the edge of what we’d consider to be an acceptable thickness, so we really don’t want the iPad Air 3 to get any thinner.
5. Better battery life
The iPad Air 2’s battery life is more than reasonable, with the slate happily chugging along for up to 10 hours of web browsing or video viewing, but it could still always be better and if you’re an avid gamer you’ll find its life is cut significantly short.
We hope then that the iPad Air 3 will get a battery boost, so we can be confident that a transatlantic flight or epic train journey won’t leave us dying of boredom.
6. Up the resolution
The iPad Air 2 already has one of the best tablet screens around, but if Apple keeps a 1536 x 2048 resolution for the iPad Air 3 it risks feeling a bit dated.
The likes of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S and Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet already have it beaten. In fact when it comes to pixel density both the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus have the edge and let’s not even get started on all the QHD phones we’re seeing now.
Sure, tablets aren’t phones, but with all the media we enjoy on them they’re every bit as deserving of a super sharp screen.
7. Improved daylight visibility
As well as being sharper we hope the iPad Air 3’s screen is easier to see outdoors, especially in bright sunlight.
You can just about use the iPad Air 2 without a roof over your head but there’s plenty of room for improvement here. A big selling point of tablets is mobile entertainment and one that you can’t really use outside is significantly limited in that sense.
8. Front-facing speakers
Given that the iPad Air 2 just has a single speaker it manages to kick out some fairly impressive sounds, but stereo speakers would be a definite improvement.
While we’re on the subject, it would be great if they were moved from the base of the slate to the front, so that they’re actually oriented towards you when you’re watching videos and playing games.
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The one thing I certainly do not what to see is a higher res screen. I'm tired of the pixel race that tech publications perpetuate. It's only coming at the expense of battery life. I can get behind Apple on not constantly upping the pixel density of their screens. It's unnecessary. I want to see better battery life. I have an iPad Air and I think the screen looks great.
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I really want a 256GB version. I do a lot of reading, so even 128GB is starting to get cramped.
That's bizarre Steve and couldn't be more opposite my experience with the Air2 since its release. My eyes are going to hell too (45 years old) and I feel like the entire HiDPI/retina thing has grown with the worsening of my eyes. I own the Air 2 as well as the Mini 2 & 4. There's literally ZERO difference in the sharpness between the three or my iPhone 6s+. The colors on my mini 4 are no MUCH closer to the Air 2 – that much more accurate
But if there's a Single thing I'd like to see Apple avoid it's the ridiculously high PPI levels that do nothing but much battery life. They do little in the way of sharpness …and Apple's iOS has text nailed. Not sure what tablet you were looking at but it certainly wasn't the A2 with its new lamination process, best in the ring reflectability scores and near 100% color gamut coverage with insane density to start.
No need to add more at all (and I'm ambidextrous …own a Note 4 as well as S6 Edge. Very familiar with the OLED trickery and sib pixel layout to 'achieve' such densities.
Better Battery, anti glare and 32gb starting size are what id like to see in addition to the obvious cpu update. As this is basically the pro ios tablet 16gb is a joke.
i am agree with author of this topic and another people that put their comment. i wish ipad air 3 have bigger battery than ipad air 1 while ipad air 2 have smaller battery than ipad air 1
i know it is because of smaller thickness of device and that newer processor use less power, but because of that i sold my new ipad air 2 128gb cellural and bought new ipad air 1 128gb cellural in 40% lower price. on another hand i hope that apple will make air 3 in the thickness of air 1 (air 2 with 6,1 mm is to thin, 7,5 mm is perfect) and then will be place for bigger battery with better performance than air 2 and air 1. current resolution it is great for me, no need to change it at all (bigger resolution = lower performance in games / apps, and there is a lot of apps adjusted to current native resolution which will look worse with using scale in bigger resolution, and i do not think that each app will be updated to bigger resolution), if i have to say some more, will be great to have speakers in landscape position and not portrait like now – please ask yourselve and answer: are you play with games or use music apps in portrait mode more frequently? no, answer is: in landscape mode. APPLE engineers, if you read this comments, please make bigger battery in ipad air 3 and ipad no to thinner than air 2; ipad air 1 thick ess size is the best. ps. of course 16 gb in primary model is a joke not only in future ipad air 3 but in ipad air 2 model as well.
They do. On most old devices. Ipad air 2 prices could be dropped from the $600 margin to the $400 margin which could be a 64 or 128GB variants. I can't wait to own a latest ipad.
With ya skywalkr2. It's hard to imagine anything faster, more powerful, longer lasting and reliable as the Air 2/iPhone 6s lines. I'm also with you holding a year as I bought my wife the Air 4 for Christmas and set it up last weekend. Wow!
I'd want the pen to work with it. Pro is too big but I would love to use an iPad for sketching.
I feel the exact opposite. I really want to buy a tablet and was all set to buy the Air2 until I compared it to the mini 3. The pixel difference was astounding. It was like looking at ancient technology. I couldn't pull the trigger on the mini 3 as I wanted the larger screen, but man the Air 2 just looks pitiful in comparison to it's little sibling, and compared to the Android tabs it's horrible. Retina is awesome, but when a baby-boomers can even make out the pixels that just horrible.
What good is battery life if looking at text on the screen for more than 20 minutes causes eye strain. Apple should EASILY be able to up the ppi without a downtime on battery life if they actually put a better battery in it. Don't let them get away with skimping on one thing (ppi) just because they are already skimping on another(battery size and better management).
instead of "iPad Pro/iPad Air Plus" apple should introduce touch in the Macs. FOCUSE ON "MACBOOK".
Both of them, especially the first one, will probably never happen
The purpose of tablet is usage ability not to compare with other tablet or bloat spec around. I prefer current resolution with longer battery life. My family have both iPad air 2 and mini 2, I still prefer iPad Air 2 display more than mini since mini have gap between glass and display, mini display is ancient technology not ipad air.
"The iPad Air 2 is the first iPad with an optically bonded cover glass—all previous iPad models had high reflectance air gaps under the cover glass" – Gizmodo 1651239343
And you should watch some test http://www.displaymate.com/iPa…
The only thing mini retina have is more ppi. But is it better display, not quite.
Apple can easily be up ppi without downtime, maybe yes.
But I prefer current ppi with additional 1-2 hours of current usage time.
iPad doesn't need a higher resolution screen. The mini is already at retina resolution. I would have loved pencil support built into the mini 4. And pencil support built into the iPad Air 3 or whatever they are going to call it. I'm excited about the Apple pencil. However not excited about pro iPad. It's too big. I like to draw on my iPad mini. But would go a little larger for pencil support. But probably not laptop sized like the iPad pro.
I ALWAYS WONDER IF I COULD JUST ORDER THE COMPANY HOW A PRODUCT I WANT FOR MY PERSONAL USE
Dude. It's 2015. Apple passed that horse three years ago
my mother want to use ipad instead of iPhone so make it full replacement. INCLUDE GOOD REAR CAMERA WITH THE SAME FPS CAMERA OF IPHONE OR MORE. INCLUDE 'FLASH" FOR CAMERA
Make that front facing STEREO speakers (you know, the kind that are spaced apart providing for maximum stereo separation).
I know I am late here, but 32GB is good, but hardly necessary for lots of folks unless you have to carry your media with you all the time. I personally (and lots of others) stream nearly everything.
The only thing that will make me buy another iPad is if they make it cheaper. Otherwise it is just an expensive toy I use to browse. The super cheap Android tab I bought for my daughter to watch movies on has all the same apps and similar performance for 20% of the cost.
learn good display qualities from kindle hdx (gamut, reflection etc) and improve whatever they can..
Thanks for the article. Netflix app and Hulu, or BBC is great on iPhone. If live outside USA, you can use tools like UnoTelly to get Netflix app and Hulu, or BBC on your iPad.
Proper Bluetooth to enable me to swap files and a decent sized amount of storage, 64 Gb minimum.
Well u can get a filemanager through Cydia or iPawind, iFile is it? Not sure how good it is but it's been around for many years.
I can't imagine better than ipad air 2. I am thinking any updates will not be anything that would make me need to upgrade. My screen is the perfect size, its the perfect weight, the battery lasts a LONG time, and it's smooth on the A8X processor.