When retailers dramatically dropped the price of iPad Air 2 during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, reports surfaced that Apple might be gearing up to launch the iPad Air 3 sooner than expected. But the Cupertino company is unlikely to launch it in 2015 as the iPad Pro went for sale only recently. Now the rumor mill is abuzz that the iPad Air 3 would arrive with the new MacBook Retina in March 2016.
iPad Air 3 to be cheaper than iPad Pro
Earlier this year, Apple surprised consumers by holding an event in March to unveil the new MacBook and Apple Watch. The company is expected to refresh the MacBook and Watch line and unveil the new iPad Air in March 2016. According to Chinese tech site MyDrivers, Apple might have deliberately delayed the Air 3 launch to avoid overwhelming buyers with different models of its tablets.
The iPad sales have been declining for the past several quarters. The iPad Air 3 needs to have the “wow factor” in terms of design and specs to reverse the trend. The next-year’s Air 3 is expected to focus on media and entertainment functions, unlike the iPad Pro, which targets professional users. The iPad Air 3 will likely be much cheaper than the iPad Pro.
iPad 2 still the most popular model
If rumors are to be believed, the iPad Air 3 will feature a 9.7-inch display with 4K resolution. Other expected features include 4GB RAM and a powerful A9X processor, the same SoC that powers the latest iPad Pro. It will reportedly feature an 8-megapixel rear camera and Touch ID-equipped Home button. Similar to the new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, the Air 3 will sport a series-7000 aluminum body that will make it sturdier.
Note that these are just rumors. There is no confirmation from Apple. According to Apple Insider, the iPad 2, launched in 2011, is still the most popular iPad model. It accounts for 20% of the total iPads in use, followed by the iPad Air 2 with just 9%. The iPad Mini 3 and Mini 4 account for just 2.3% of the total user base. It indicates that the iPad users are reluctant to upgrade frequently.
