3 Big Rumors About the iPad Air 3

Apple is expected to announce its third generation iPad Air tablet in the third month of 2016, which means we’ll likely see the iPad Air 3 and iPhone 5se announced at a media event next month. The iPad Air is the only tablet model in Apple’s iPad range that didn’t get refreshed this past fall—Apple updated its iPad mini slate when it announced the large format iPad Pro tablet—so we should expect to see some notable hardware updates.
For users who like the iPad Pro’s features, but don’t want to tote around a 12.9-inch tablet, the good news is that the iPad Air 3 is rumored to take inspiration from the Pro, but retain its smaller 9.7-inch form factor.
Here are three big rumors about the iPad Air 3, which will hopefully satisfy gamers, content creators and those who like to consume videos on their slates:
1. Design
A leaked image obtained by Engadget suggests that the iPad Air 3 will essentially be a shrunken iPad Pro. Like the iPad Pro, the tablet will be perfect the perfect device to consume content. For video watching, the iPad Air 3 will come with a quad-speaker array, which will provide stereo audio output in both landscape and portrait orientation.
The cost for good sound? You’ll have to deal with a marginal increase to the iPad Air 2’s dimensions going to the third generation model. The iPad Air 3 is expected to be 0.05mm thicker and 0.1mm wider than the model it replaces, according to a leaked schematic.
If you’re planning on upgrading from an iPad Air 2, the slightly larger dimensions could mean that some accessories, like fitted hard cases, may not properly accommodate the iPad Air 3. Even if your existing cases fit, you may still want to buy new accessories to accommodate the quad-speakers, new connectors and features of Apple’s latest and greatest tablet.
2. Going Pro Without the Heft
Enhanced audio through the quad-speaker design isn’t the only Pro feature that’s making its way to the iPad Air 3. The iPad Air 3 will have a smart connector, likely to accommodate its own Smart Keyboard case, and a touchscreen that supports the Apple Pencil.