Apple to launch a smaller iPad Pro, not an iPad Air 3

It's been widely believed that Apple would launch an iPad Air 3 during its 15 March event. It now seems that the tablet making its debut next month will, in fact, be a 9.7in follow-up to the new iPad Pro, not the iPad Air. 

9to5Mac has reported Apple will be announcing a 9.7in iPad Pro to go alongside its 12.9in predecessor, drawing a parallel to Apple's approach with the MacBook Pro and its 13in and 15in variants. What essentially amounts to a naming choice makes sense when you consider reports that the new tablet will share the iPad Pro's A9X processor and RAM, and is rumoured to support Apple Pencil. 

The site also claims that Apple is preparing a smaller version of its Smart Keyboard attachment, and that the 9.7in tablet will have the larger iPad Pro's quad stereo speakers. In terms of pricing, it's believed the tablet will be closer to the iPad Air 2 than the iPad Pro.  

iPad Air 3 / new iPad Pro

Last year, Apple decided not to push a sequel to the iPad Air 2 in favour of the iPad Pro. While the lack of an iPad Air 3 made some believe that particular tablet range had run out of… well, air, a series of rumours now suggest a new tablet could be coming in a matter of weeks. It's thought that Tim Cook et al are planning a launch on 15 March. Citing anonymous sources, 9to5Mac claims that Apple will hold an event to premier the iPad Air 3 / new iPad Pro, alongside a 4in iPhone 5se and a range of new Apple Watch models.

Elsewhere, there are reports that the new tablet could be getting an 8-megapixel rear camera, a fingerprint sensor and maybe even a 4K display. With all this in mind, here's everything we know about the iPad so far.

iPad Air 3 / new iPad Pro at a glance

Apple's next tablet, now believed to be a new iPad Pro

15 March 2016

Around £399, although the Pro branding may push this up slightly.

iPad Air 3 / new iPad Pro release date

Those waiting for news about the sequel to Apple's iPad Air 2 at Apple's September 2015 live event will have wept onto the glossy surface of their super-thin tablets, as Apple declined to make any reference to the iPad Air 3. It's likely that, with the release of the iPad Pro and the iPad mini 4, Apple wanted to avoid iPad overload – too many new tablets, and customers won't know what to throw their money at. If Apple wants the iPad Pro to forge an identity for itself, it makes sense to give the jumbo slab some breathing space. It doesn't want the Air 3 awkwardly hanging around, dragging adoring gazes away from the shiny new toy in the room.

9to5Mac claims Apple will announce the iPad during an event on 15 March. Chinese tech site MyDrivers has similarly gone ahead and pinned the iPad Air 3 / new Pro release date to March 2016. This would certainly give Apple a chance to strike back at the casual market missed by the iPad Pro, although it bucks the trend set by the first two Airs, which both launched in the autumn.

We'd say that waiting until the end of 2016 to release an updated Air with the technology we've seen in the iPad Pro wouldn't be in Apple's interests. Tim Cook and co normally have a March announcement – last year's being the MacBook Retina – so it makes sense for a slot to go to the new iPad.

Model

Release date

iPad Air

1 November 2013

iPad Air 2

22 October 2014

iPad Air 3

Expected 15 March 2016

iPad Air 3 / new iPad Pro price

Apple is pretty consistent with pricing so, seeing as the previous two Airs launched with a £399 base price, we'd expect pretty much the same from the iPad Air 3. However, if recent reports are to be believed and Apple intends to place the new tablet in the iPad Pro range, that figure could be pushed up somewhat.

One change we'd like to see is what £399 gets you in terms of storage. The current 16GB is, frankly, a bit ridiculous for the increasingly demanding apps and OS requirements. 32GB would be a much more sensible base storage.  

iPad Air 3 / new iPad Pro specs

It looks like the new iPad will be inheriting a few things from its extra-large predecessor, as reports claim Apple's much-rumoured new tablet will feature the iPad Pro's A9X chip.

"In March, Apple intends to announce an updated iPad and smaller-screen iPhone featuring the latest A9X and A9 chips, according to a person familiar with the plans, who wasn't authorised to comment publicly," Bloomberg claims. 

As well as pinning the iPad Air 3 / new iPad Pro to a release date in March, MyDrivers has listed a range of rumoured specs including a 9.7in screen and 4K screen resolution of 2,334 x 3,112. If true, that's a significant step up from the 1,536 x 2,048 resolution on the iPad Air 2.

The same site says that the new iPad will be powered by Apple's latest A9 or A9X chipset, between 2GB and 4GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2.1-megapixel front camera. The new iPad will also allegedly be a wafer-thin 5mm thick, and have an IP rating for water and dust resistance. If true, that would make it the second Apple device, after the Apple Watch, to come with an IP rating.

It's not entirely good news, though: the site also claims the new iPad's battery capacity will see a reduction from the 7,340mAh cell on the iPad Air 2. It's worth noting, however, that the report doesn't seem to cite any clear sources for all this information – so take it with a pinch of salt.

We say it's likely that the iPad Air 3 / new iPad Pro will get the original iPad Pro's A9X chip and 4GB of RAM. This could provide the necessary boost to convince users to make the jump from the still-great iPad Air 2 into something slimmer, but almost as powerful, as the larger iPad Pro.

3D Touch (or lack thereof)

The iPhone 6s' headline feature was the inclusion of the pressure-sensitive 3D Touch display. It's an impressive mechanic and there are already signs that Samsung is looking to mimic its success with the Galaxy S7, but don't expect to see it in the new iPad.

According to an investor's note obtained by Apple Insider, renowned KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple won't be using the 3D Touch in the upcoming iPad. The reasons are practical, with Kuo citing problems in the supply chain for 3D Touch components. 

Kuo has called 3D Touch "one of the most severe production bottlenecks in iPhone 6s supply chain," and believes the supply chain to be currently below 30% utilisation.

The high-end iPad Pro doesn't feature 3D Touch, but it's possible that Apple will look to expand the scope of the feature in future iPad releases. Kuo's comments, however, suggest that Cook and co won't be able to do this in time for the new tablet's expected launch in Q1 2016.

Running out of Air?

Another possibility is that Apple is putting the future of the iPad Air on hold indefinitely, or at least until the company has an idea of how well the iPad Pro and iPad mini 4 perform. The tablet market is changing, as evidenced by Apple's decision to change tack with the iPad Pro. With Apple's recent reports indicating a 19% decline year-on-year in iPad sales – a four-year low – the company is understandably shifting focus.

What does that mean for the future position of the iPad Air in Apple's coterie of tablets? For the time being, the iPad Air 2 is a perfectly capable device, meaning an update isn't desperately needed. However, if Apple brings out a new iteration, which is still highly likely, it's hard to see how Apple will avoid it clashing with the iPad Pro in some shape or form.

Ultimately, we'll have to see on 15 March whether Apple decides to push its new tablet into the iPad Air or iPad Pro camp. Given that the upcoming iPad reportedly shares more than a few things with its large predecessor, we'd say it makes sense to see a smaller Pro at the March event.  

Interested in the iPad Air 3? Check out what we thought of Apple's iPad Pro.

Source: Apple to launch a smaller iPad Pro, not an iPad Air 3