Apple introduced its third-generation iPad Air with skinnier bezels, the A14 Bionic chip and other perks on September 15, but the new tablet still doesn't have a release date. According to a well-respected leaker, that could change at today's Apple event as both the new tablet and the iPhone 12 models are expected to debut later this week.
The new iPad Air is listed on Apple's website and in the press release as coming later this month, but Apple has yet to give us an exact launch date. According to a well-connected Bloomberg reporter, the launch could be imminent because marketing materials for the unreleased product are beginning to trickle down to retail stores.
The new iPad Air is Apple's first device with a re-engineered Touch ID fingerprint sensor, built into the tablet's Top button. The move has prompted some watchers to point out that a return of Touch ID in the next iPhone would be a welcome one.
As you know, Apple has scheduled a media event on its Cupertino campus on this coming Monday, March 21. Earlier this month, the company sent out its predictably cryptic invites with the “Let us loop you in” tagline to select members of the press.
It looks to be a pretty significant event.
On top of an all-new four-inch iPhone model, we're expecting other announcements like a smaller 9.7-inch iPad Pro, new Apple Watch bands—including a black edition of the Milanese Loop—and a bunch of enhancements for Apple's operating systems.
Following weeks of speculation, Apple on Thursday sent out invites for a media event later this month that should serve as a launchpad for new iPhone and iPad models, Apple Watch bands and possibly more.
The press event will be held at Apple's Cupertino campus on Monday, March 21, 2016, at 10:00am PT, and will be live-streamed using HTTP Live Streaming.
As you may have guessed, iDownloadBlog will continue covering everything there's to know about about Apple's product refreshes.
After posting images of a purported iPhone 7 case with holes for a pair of speaker grilles and dual cameras on the back, gadget leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer today posted on Twitter images of a claimed iPad Air 3 case.
Corroborating the notion that Apple's third-generation iPad Air is basically a smaller, 9.7-inch iPad Pro with the same A9X processor, Smart Connector and a four-speaker setup like the iPad Pro, the images show off openings in the right places for quad speakers and the Smart Connector.
The upcoming 9.7-inch iPad Pro will likely feature a 12-megapixel rear camera, reports 9to5Mac. The site claims that prototypes of the rumored tablet being used inside Apple have a rear camera comparable to the sensor in the iPhone 6s.
This would mark an improvement over the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which debuted in November with an 8MP camera. The reasoning behind the move is the smaller iPad is more portable, thus more folks will likely use it to take photos.
The rumored iPad Air 3 will actually bear iPad Pro branding when it lands next month, reports 9to5Mac. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the site claims that Apple plans to carry its MacBook Pro strategy over to its Pro tablet line.
"Much like the MacBook Pro comes in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes, the iPad Pro will soon come in 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch variations." The move makes sense, considering that the new iPad is expected to feature most of the Pro's internals.
A third-generation iPad Air will run an 'A9X' processor and an 'iPhone 5se' will be outfitted with Apple's 'A9' chip, according to Bloomberg Bussinessweek's profile of Johny Srouji, Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies.
“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 authorized to comment publicly,” reads a passage from the Bloomberg article.
Apple is planning to launch the iPhone 5se and iPad Air 3 on Friday, March 18th, reports 9to5Mac. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the outlet claims the launch of the long-rumored 4-inch iPhone and third-gen iPad Air will follow their unveiling at an event on Tuesday, March 15th.
If true, this would mark a departure from Apple's usual launch cycle, in which products are introduced one to two weeks before they are available for sale to the public. Unsurprisingly, 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman says that because of the quick turnaround, Apple is unlikely to offer pre-orders.
Apple is currently planning to hold a media event on Tuesday, March 15, to formally unveil a rumored new four-inch iPhone 5se, a third-generation iPad Air and new Apple Watch band options, according to a report this morning by 9to5Mac's reliable Mark Gurman.
“As the scheduled event is still a month-and-a-half away, the date could conceivably still shift or turn into an online announcement,” cautioned Gurman.
Another iPad Air 3 design drawing, published Monday by Engadget, seems to support the thesis that the forthcoming device refresh will be outfitted with four speakers and include support for the Smart Connector. As you know, both of these features have made their debut with last fall's release of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
The alleged design drawing follows a similar image which the French blog NowhereElse.fr posted a week ago. That drawing gave us our first glimpse into the Smart Connector and four speakers, both of which are now believed to be in tow for the iPad Air 3.