iPad Air 3 Release Date, Specs, Features & Price: vs iPad Air 2
In late 2014, the world has seen Apple's thinnest iPad in existence -- the iPad Air 2. Arriving with a thinness that's impossibly 6.1 mm, the device weighs less than a pound, keeping up with its branding metaphor. Now we wonder how innovative its successor could become.
If people thought of the iPad Air 2 as the "perfect" tablet, would there be a need for an iPad Air 3? Well, leave the question to industry speculations, which always seemed to have the answers even before devices are conceived.
While Apple has not confirmed a word about the iPad Air 3, rumor mills have continued churning, agreeing on certain points based on the company's release patterns. This time, we've collected what's up about the iPad Air 3 to see how they fare against the current tablet flagship.
Release Date
Before we dive into specs, let it be known that the iPad Air 3 may also be called the iPad 7 or the New iPad, according to Macworld. The outlet believed that an October 2015 release will be likely, the same month when its predecessors was unveiled.
For those who may not know, the iPad Air 1 was announced on Oct. 22, 2013, while the iPad Air 2 launched on Oct. 16, 2014. As told by Macworld, this has been the Cupertino giant's "standard iPad release schedule."
Processor
We kick off the iPad Air 3's rumored specs with its alleged processor, since it appears to be one of the device's major upgrades. Christian Today took note of reports which claimed that the device could pack a speedy A9 chip.
Interestingly, rival company Samsung has been suggested to manufacture these processors, not just for the iPad Air 3, but also for the next iPhone model.
The iPad Air 2 is powered by an A8X chip with 64-bit architecture and M8 motion coprocessor.
RAM
Surprisingly, the iPad Air 3's RAM is expected to be doubling that of the iPad Air 2's. 9to5Mac cited another report which claimed that the next iPad Air will have 4 GB of RAM. The current flagship comes with 2 GB.
This implies that the next iPad may be expected to run faster. The outlet informed that while 1 - 2 GB of RAM would cost small financial burden, more of it meant more power consumption. That said, we're excited to see how Apple's battery life works out.
Design
Since the A9 processor was said to be thinner, Christian Today reported that the next iPhone and iPad could ultimately sport a thinner architecture.
The iPad Air 2 came with a height of 9.4 inches (240 mm), a width of 6.6 inches (169.5 mm) and a weight of 0.96 pound (437 g). As we've told above, it's 6.1 mm thick.
Just how thinner could the iPad Air 3 be?
Display
On top of the possible Retina Display, Macworld predicted that the iPad Air 3 gets a resolution upgrade. The source noted that a pixel density approaching 401ppi is likely. Yet again, this would consume more energy, pointing us back to the issue of battery life.
A 9.7-inch diagonal screen windows from the iPad Air 2. This Retina Display houses a resolution of 2048 x 1536, with a pixel density of 264ppi.
Price & Color Options
Macworld finally claimed that the iPad Air 3 would cost "pretty much" similar to that of its predecessor's retail price at launch. At present, the iPad Air 2 starts from $499 for its 16 GB version.
The outlet added that the upcoming tablet may be offered in silver, space gray and gold, the current trio of Apple colors.
What changes would you like to see in the iPad Air 3? Tell us your choices in the comments section.
See Mrwhosetheboss' concept of the iPad Air 3 below.