Skip to main content

Leaked iPad Air 3 case images hint at Smart Connector support, rear camera flash, and more

Apple CEO TIm Cook iPad Pro

A new leak spotted by Macoatakara that first appeared on an Alibaba site appears to hint at some potential changes coming with the iPad Air 3. Earlier this month, Mark Gurman reported that Apple announce a new version of the iPad Air at a March press event alongside new Apple Watch models. Now, a leaked case design suggests some of the potential new design changes that the iPad Air 3 could feature when it launches to the public.

The first thing you’ll notice in the image below is that there appears to be a cutout for the Smart Connector. Apple first introduced this connection with the iPad Pro, using it for a more stable and reliable connection for things like keyboards. This case leak suggests that Apple plans to add the Smart Connector to the iPad Air lineup with the March revision.

Another change is that the camera cutout on the back of the case appears to extend further down, perhaps hinting that the iPad Air 3 will gain support for rear camera flash, a feature the iPad Pro does not have. Finally, the leaked images appear to show holes for four speakers, a change that was first reported earlier this month.

15755-12220-Screen-Shot-2016-01-31-at-13819-PM-l

Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported last month that the iPad Air 3 would not feature support for 3D Touch due to a production error. Of course, the iPad Pro doesn’t have support for 3D Touch either.

Case leaks are something that should also be taken with a hint of skepticism, as sometimes case makers build designs off of rumored features without any confirmation from Apple itself. Nevertheless, it’s interesting to see another source potentially corroborating otherwise sketchy reports.

The iPad Air 3 should launch in March alongside the iPhone 5se and new Apple Watch variants.

Speck_DFI_Ad_CS-Stacked-Cube_704x90_6s_v1

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

  1. 89p13 - 8 years ago

    Yawn! Apple has to do something more than just that. It’s time for Revolutionary not evolutionary if Apple wants to reverse the slide in iPad sales. Just my opinion, but I think the writing is on the wall.

    • techfold - 8 years ago

      For that to happen, iPhone inventor Johnny Ive got to move on, I think he is done. Someone else will have to make a breakthrough to create something revolutionary. I think next generation is probably deviceless device or flexible wearables attachable to a t-shirt, shirt, shoes or pants. Biggest challenge is limitations in battery technology. Expecting the same person to be revolutionary is insane, that’s what Apple is doing.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      Nothing can reverse them. Please tell us your idea for how they reverse the sales decline? My idea is that they brick everyone’s current iPads because that is the only way the sales will increase.

      I don’t know why people don’t understand that iPads have saturated the market, and therefore are inevitably going to decline. The iPad is similar to the Mac, not many people are going to upgrade every other year, it’s probably more like every 4-5 years. I don’t know why people don’t expect iPads to get even closer to Mac sales numbers, which are very low compared to the iPhone.

      Now you’re seeing the iPhone get to a market saturation point. People expecting iPhones sales to increase indefinitely must be delusional, it’s not possible. I believe the iPhone sales will increase again after the next quarter decline, but soon there will be steady declines until it reaches a point where it stays around so many tens of millions and it keeps an average around that for the foreseeable future.

      • 89p13 - 8 years ago

        IF I had that idea – I’d be working for Apple and steering the next – and future – generations of the iPad.

        IMHO – depending on how the “school solution” works out in the upcoming 9.3 release, I think NOW Apple has a story in that market. Education market is ever expanding and IF Apple has the correct solution (as it seems to be working on in 9.3 Developers) then I totally disagree with your assertion. It will continue to grow and develop a solution!

        YMMV

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        Making school better with an iPad is very simple. Getting schools to have the budgets to buy iPads and Apple pencils is not.

      • blockbusterbuzz - 8 years ago

        I agree with you. I mean, people way smarter than us who actually get paid to solve this problem have not been able to come back from this sales decline.

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        @blockbuster Not sure I’d say way smarter considering the innumerable idiotic decisions that come out of Apple.

      • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

        @smoothies With multiple users support in 9.3 schools can put the entire textbooks for each grade level and save money from having purchase the textbooks.

      • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

        Apple can shift the upgrade cycle by making all iPads cellar models and offering an upgrade plan like iPhones and have customers use the installment plans from cellar companies. Its the only way to get people out of the 3-5 upgrade cycle they are in.Its is about time for people on iPad 2 and iPad 3 to upgrade.

        I agree with you on sales should be close to Mac sales. People ignore the declining computer sales of the market as a whole.Mac sales and iPad sales are not bad considering what the computer market is doing.I think we will see an uptick in sales, do to so many people being on an original iPad mini or iPad 2-4.

        A switch to all iPads being cellular is the easiest way i can see Apple increasing the upgrade cycle and sales. It eliminates the initial cost for many people and makes it more easy to upgrade every 2-4 years instead the 3-5 most people seem to be on.

      • I disagree that iPhone has reached saturation point. There’s much room to grow. Apple is just starting to get serious about India, then there’s Russia, Brazil, Indonesia as major markets which are not even close to being tapped out as far as iPhone growth goes.

      • Jon G. - 8 years ago

        The fact that you’re even discussing their company and postulating what decisions they should make means they’ve already won the battle for your attention…

    • Stetson - 8 years ago

      I think they just need to keep making steady improvements (mostly to software capabilites). Eventually sales will settle down close to or probably slightly above Mac sales and then resume a more sustainable growth.

      iPads probably have a lifespan similar to Macs, in the 4-5 year range. Most people don’t buy new PCs every two years like they do with smart phones.

      In other words, I don’t think that iPad sales are worryingly low, rather that the giant sales spike for the first couple of years was artificially high and it’s returning to a normal growth rate.

  2. Interactive Arts - 8 years ago

    I’m looking forward to those awesome four speakers from the iPad Pro, finally transforming the iPad into a more meaningful and immersive device for top quality media consumption. Apple need to do it as well because their product lines are cannibalising each other and there needs to be more headlining features distinguishing the iPad from the Pro and the new Macbook. Down the line when iPads have OLED displays this will be unbeatable.

    • arrowson - 8 years ago

      I agree with the iPad pro speakers. The only thing I would change would be to have the four speakers front facing. Speaker ports through the glass or have the aluminum back be visible from the front and have the speakers in the metal facing the user.

      • rnc - 8 years ago

        Front facing speakers sound bad

  3. Eduardo Antonini - 8 years ago

    Apple has to come up with a killer feature for the iPad like it did with the FaceTime camera on the iPad 2 in 2011. That was the iPad-boom! And because people don’t all walk around with their iPads like they do with their iPhones, there’s less of a “peer-pressure” to upgrade. They need that killer feature and an awesome tv ad – THEN the iPad will see its golden days again. For now, just adding speakers and connectors won’t do.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      It will never see ‘Golden Days’ again. It’s not possible, no matter what they do with them. There is nothing they can add to them that will spur rapid growth in sales. They may increase slightly, but they will probably decrease a little more and then reach a sticking point where the average stays, and there is no real change in sales from year to year.

    • Smigit - 8 years ago

      I’d be pretty surprised if the FaceTime camera played a big role in the iPad 2’s success. The timing of the device and the fact many people bypassed the original iPad, but we’re interested in tablets were likely bigger factors. it was a solid alternative to a PC for people looking to use the web and other tools.

      The iPhone was and remains a better option for real time communications. Not to say the camera was irrelevant, but I wouldn’t say it was a landmark feature.

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        I agree, the design change and newness of the iPad was what got a lot of purchases.

  4. applegetridofsimandjack - 8 years ago

    For the next iPad Pro they should try and make it even more responsive. The latency for in and output for the Pencil is already much better on iPad Pro than on any other iPad which is obvious because it was needed for the pencil but I think they can still improve on this.

    • irelandjnr - 8 years ago

      You’re a visionary. Apple would have never considered improving the next version.

      • applegetridofsimandjack - 8 years ago

        You iDiot. I was pointing out a specific technology Apple needs to improve with the next iPad Pro. Apple never upgrades everything with newer iPads and iPhones.

  5. applegetridofsimandjack - 8 years ago

    iPad Air 3 improvements I would like to see.

    3GB ram (4GB is better of course but I am dead certain they won’t do that)
    Faster CPU (obviously)
    5MP Facetime camera
    12MP rear camera
    256GB storage option
    32GB entry-model (32GB, 128GB, 256GB)
    3D Touch
    Reduce thickness (It’s crazy thin already but thinner is always better, for me at least)

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      It has been rumored to have 3 GB of ram, hopefully it gets 4 GB like the pro. If it gets a 4K display it’s more likely it will have 4GB.

      A better FaceTime camera is one feature the iPad’s have needed for a long time.

      I don’t see why the iPad needs to be thinner or the Benicia of it.

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        I think it will get the iPad Pro resolution so that it will spur the creation of more apps compatible with the iPad Pro resolution.

      • Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 8 years ago

        Smooties, I’m with that thinking too. Add pencil support also. If they do that – it’s not an ipad air anymore though. It would basically have the scaling the ipad mini has. The “pro mini” in concept. Hope that’s not the name but who knows.

        Think the air will either get minor update or none at all and price drop.

    • triankar - 8 years ago

      I agree with you on all but the last two.
      – I’d rather see Pencil support on the smaller iPads. That’s the thing I’m waiting for.
      – thinner? No thanks. I’d rather have better battery life. I’m not complaining for the iPad (it’s liveable), but definitely for the iPhone

  6. jakexb - 8 years ago

    Actually, serious keyboard cases on more moderately-priced iPads are a great idea. Every person who gets an iPad for college gets a crappy bluetooth keyboard case/stand. Better integration would be good for all those people so they don’t have to feel like they’re hacking together a solution out of 3rd party accessories.

  7. 2is1toomany - 8 years ago

    Is it just me or is the sleep/wake button on the other side according to this case design?

    • MK (@MathiasMK84) - 8 years ago

      That’s just you 😉 Top left, besides the speaker. And 3.5mm jack lower left, besides another speaker. Just like iPad Pro.

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      It is still on the top right corner part of the wide opening for the speaker and sleep wake button. The top left cutout is for the phone jack.

      • MK (@MathiasMK84) - 8 years ago

        Nope, you got it wrong, the home button is on the right if the iPad sits on the keyboard. Power button is then top left and jack lower left.

      • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

        was referring to the right side in the photo. The phone jack is on the top of the iPad not the bottom. on the physical top right it is the phone jack, then speaker, then on the left top side a speaker and sleep wake button.

  8. MK (@MathiasMK84) - 8 years ago

    I hope they give the Air the same software keyboard the iPad Pro has (number row, tab key).

  9. hlreiku - 8 years ago

    All I want is for it to be compatible with Apple Pencil

  10. Dean Cade - 8 years ago

    I don’t really care any more as I have purchased enough Apple products and what ever changes they make will be only small. Every Apple product I have works fast enough. I just wish car manufactures would work as fast as Apple and add iPlay to there cars.

  11. SKR Imaging - 8 years ago

    I never liked the Air name.. they could change things and call it iPad.. would simplify the lineup so much and make more sense.. iPad Mini, iPad and iPad Pro.. nice and simple.. internal SKUs could point to say early 2016 iPad, late 2016 iPad and whatnot… As a consumer, seeing the name “Air” tends to make me think that there is a regular iPad somewhere but nowhere to be found… in Mac Lineup, they can do the same.. Macbook and Macbook Pro, no need or the Air I believe.. just like Steve Jobs did back in 1996 there should be a refresh done on the bloated lineup of Mac and Tablet products SKUs.

    • The current lineup isn’t in a mess – the problem in the 1990s was dozens of Mac models. Currently there are 6 macs (3 laptop, 3 desktop) that are configurable.

      • SKR Imaging - 8 years ago

        When I went to apple Store, I was shown a 12 inch Macbook, 11 inch Macbook Air, 13 inch Macbook air, 13 inch Non retina Macbook Pro (still surpirsed it’s being sold) , 13inch retina MAcbook Pro, 15 inch Retina Macbook Pro… that IS a messy lineup in my view… sure it gives consumers choice but sometimes too much choice is a bad thing.. make it simple.. 12 inch MAcbook( retina), 13 inch Macbook Pro (retina) and 15 inch Retina..

        the desktop lineup is clean so good on them for that.. iMAc 21 and 27, Mac mini and Mac Pro.. simple..

      • SKR Imaging - 8 years ago

        When I went to apple Store, I was shown a 12 inch Macbook, 11 inch Macbook Air, 13 inch Macbook air, 13 inch Non retina Macbook Pro (still surpirsed it’s being sold) , 13inch retina MAcbook Pro, 15 inch Retina Macbook Pro… that IS a messy lineup in my view… sure it gives consumers choice but sometimes too much choice is a bad thing.. make it simple.. 12 inch MAcbook( retina), 13 inch Macbook Pro (retina) and 15 inch Retina..

        the desktop lineup is clean so good on them for that.. iMAc 21 and 27, Mac mini and Mac Pro.. simple..

  12. SKR Imaging - 8 years ago

    the next 9.7 inch iPad needs Pencil support.. if not, it will be a huge missed opportunity.

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      I am sure it will. At least it is getting smart cases to go with the smart connector. I still wish Apple would integrate more smart features into their cases and covers.

      I see Apple doing demos with the pencil for taking notes in a text book or for other school lessons. I think Apple will try to make a push more toward education then pro uses for the Pencil. I just wish Apple would include it in the price of the iPad At least throw it in with the cellaur models since they still have the $129 premium added to it.

      • SKR Imaging - 8 years ago

        I always imagined the smart connector havng more use then just keyboards.. imaging a smart cover that has a built in battery… or maybe a smart cover with built in storage.. if iOS adds storage support, imagine the onslaught of cases that include a 32 or 64GB flash storage accessible to iOS X via the smart connector… if they only ever use it for keyboards, it is a wasted R&D.. I hope Apple have future plans for this connector…

    • yojimbo007 - 8 years ago

      Plus 3d touch

  13. taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

    This will probably be controversial, but iOS 10 should drop support for any iPad that doesn’t have a 64 bit chip, that would eliminate the iPad 2,3,4 and iPad mini first generation. This would get people to buy new devices and have developers focus solely on 64 bit apps.

    Better cameras, smart connector, better speakers(finally) better processor and other upgrades are nice, but are not the cure to iPad. The two main things is better software and price structure to entice more frequent upgrades. The iPad is built good and is why they don’t have a high upgrade cycle.They are positioned between a computer and a smartphone is upgrade cycles
    (3-4 years)

    padOS or an annual iPad specific update is needed.iOS for iPad is still mostly a blown up version of the OS from the original iPhone. Why can i have only 4 columns of apps on the home screen but 6 in the home tray?Why does the iPhone plus able t get edit and punctuation buttons when the iPad doesn’t? There are numerous things would help for multitasking and UI tweaks to make the iPad better.We have tvO and watchOS now, why not have padOS.Many here say add OS X to iPad i think that is a bad idea, because you wouldn’t have a robust app store and Os X UI wouldn’t work. iPad needs a dedicated OS, iOS is to much tailored to the iPhone as things stand now. I think padOS would be the best solution.

    For pricing make all iPads cellular models(keep wifi for education).That way Apple can lease iPads like iPhones or consumers can make installment payments through their mobile provider. As prices stand that makes an iPad Air 2 $31.50 to $41.50 a month at AT&T.The iPad Air 3 would be a good place to test out Intel’s LTE chips before they put them in the iPhone 7. Moving all iPads to LTE would also reduce the skis and save apple time and money.Mostly it would let people upgrade more frequently without a high uproot cost by being able to make installment payments through Apple or their mobile provider.

    Apple needs come in stronger and more aggressive in the education area. They need to push for iPads to be textbook replacements and the new multi user support in 9.3 should help theme able to do that.

    • Doug Aalseth - 8 years ago

      “For pricing make all iPads cellular models”
      I agreed with you until that point. There were a number of studies, (unfortunately the latest I can find is 2012, but I seem to remember later ones, https://gigaom.com/2012/03/20/sorry-carriers-9-out-of-10-tablets-sold-are-wi-fi/ ) that showed that as high as 90% of iPads sold are WiFi only. Very few people get Cellular iPads. If Apple were going to simplify the line they’d drop Cellular and improve tethering through your phone. People just don’t go to Cellular providers for tablets. What’s more Cellular companies are more and more dropping contracts for phones. ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/two-year-cellphone-contracts-are-almost-dead-heres-everything-you-need-to-know_us_568a862ce4b014efe0dae826 ) They sure won’t want to add tablets on contract when they are dropping them for phones.

    • michael (@xxmxpx) - 8 years ago

      That’s a bad idea. I would never pay extra for a cellular iPad. iPad is a couch device to me. Rarely would I ever find myself wanting cellular data on an iPad or MacBook. Any time you sit down you probably are in a place with wifi.

    • “This will probably be controversial, but iOS 10 should drop support for any iPad that doesn’t have a 64 bit chip,”

      Not controversial at all. It’s about time iOS 10 drop support for all iDevices that are non-64 bit.

      • Dean Cade - 8 years ago

        How could you be so arrogant and just think of yourself. What about those people who can only afford previous iPads surly it is great for these people to learn and be involved.

      • Aunty T (@AuntyTroll) - 8 years ago

        Dean:

        I very much doubt that if someone you know can’t afford an iPad you wouldn’t buy one too, so how is what Shameer said selfish?

    • Doug Aalseth - 8 years ago

      “For pricing make all iPads cellular models”
      I agreed with you until that point. There were a number of studies, that showed that as high as 90% of iPads sold are WiFi only. Very few people get Cellular iPads. If Apple were going to simplify the line they’d drop Cellular and improve tethering through your phone. People just don’t go to Cellular providers for tablets. What’s more Cellular companies are more and more dropping contracts for phones. They sure won’t want to add tablets on contract when they are dropping them for phones.

  14. pdixon1986 - 8 years ago

    For apple to make this market survive and push up sales they would need to bring out something remarkable — and i mean truly remarkable…
    The ipad pro essentially was just a larger ipad with a few added features, and a few taken away… they added a smart connector (which was long overdue), added a stylus (which they claimed an ipad never needed), and finally improved the speaker system – but still no expandable storage, no 3D touch etc — as many have stated in reviews, this isn’t truly a pro device and has many limitations…
    In fact, I recently watch a youtube video that pointed out how the real promarket has been let down time and time again because apple is creating more for the regular market and trying to push their ‘pro’ products onto the regular person instead.

    Apple have certainly changed – they are releasing products that are not quite finished and missing features because they didnt meet deadlines — the Apple TV 4 is still waiting for things like bluetooth keyboard input (due in the next update, but should have been there at launch)…

    Apple also used to be ahead of the market and force everyone to catch up to them — they would have added 5K support to Apple TV and then brought out a 5K monitor and essentially told the industry to catch up — instead they don’t even include 4K…

    They missed out on upgrading the CPU in the macs last year, added only one USB-C to the macbook with a slow cores… and worse are their pricing for everything…
    How can an apple remote cost practically half that of the actual device itself?

    But back to the ipad — by now they should have a bezel-less design, an integrated home and fingerprint scanner into the screen, next gen wifi, at least stereo speakers as standard, at least 32gb (preferably at least 64gb) as standard, expandable storage, 4k screens etc — there should also be an optional battery cover and an optional battery cover with keyboard (i use the microsoft bluetooth fold up keyboard – it feels very similar to the surface pro keyboard, and has it’s own battery and is surprisingly thin )

    Finally – i know that many think an ipad should not have OSX — but… if apple what it to be a truly portable device, it needs a full OS… the tablet market is struggling, partly because laptops have become lighter and phones have become bigger – so just like apple made the ipad to bridge a gap, they now need to take a new tact…
    The ipad pro, and ideally the ipad air, should have a dual boot — it should be an iOS device when it needs to be, but also an OSX device — if it were to have a USB-C port, instead of lightning, you could add a mouse and other devices (or just use bluetooth)…
    It’s not supposed to replace a laptop, but we should be able to use a full office, and other software to get real work done — we can then switch to iOS for light use, apps, or casual home use for facebook and games…

    I sold my ipad because i still had to keep going to my laptop to get really work done (office on ipad is still not great to use and i much prefer office on the mac)… i also found that i was using my phone more than my ipad because the screen was better suited for reading on a train etc – plus my phone had internet connection — my ipad relied on wifi and tethering… so it was pointless carrying 3 devices to and from work — and it was pointless starting work on my ipad when i could just open my laptop…

    So yes… the ipad needs to do a lot more A LOT MORE than it is now… these little ‘evolutions’ and add-ons are becoming tiring… beef it up to 4K, set 64gb as the minimum standards, make the 4 speaker system standard, put in 4gb ram as standard, make it dual bootable, create a battery cover…by now, this kind of device should have replaced the macbook air (which should have been discontinued when the macbook was launched…

    Apple are slowly slipping back into their old ways of too many products, half of which are useless, instead of a strong bunch of products that are finished to a high standard!!!

    • pdixon1986 - 8 years ago

      forgot to add… lol… they need to get rid of old blood and bring in new young blood… Ive doesnt seem to be very creative anymore – his designs are from 10 years ago, instead of years into the future…
      The iOS team have become lazy… the OSX team have become lazy…
      Apple have become lazy…

      • So basically, you want Apple to immediately replace thousands of employees from their executive team & iOS / OSX teams? When you fire all these people, who are you going to replace them with? Not like A-grade executive & engineering talent is being churned out by the bucket loads. They’re being snapped up faster than the university system can graduate them. Nevermind that Apple has to compete with every other top flight tech company other.

      • pdixon1986 - 8 years ago

        John Sculley was a top CEO…he was brought over to apple — look what happened… yes you could argue steve was to blame – but he went onto things that essentially save Pixar…

        So just because you bring in ‘top talent’, it doesnt mean they will be great for the company… and just because they were great at the start or iOS and OS X, doesnt mean they will continue to do great…

        Sometimes you have to bring in new and fresh people to help bring new and fresh ideas and allow them to grow and become great…

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        Ive isn’t alone. He works with a team of around 25 people, and they are among the best industrial designers in the world. Their* designs aren’t from 10 years ago, their designs are an evolution of the great designs they’ve had for years. There will not be drastic design changes, because it’s not feasible and not prudent. If you have a great design, and can’t add anything new by changing it, then the only reason to change it is to give people a new aesthetic, which would be entirely for marketing reasons, to sell people on the new look, enticing people to show off that they own the latest phone.

        The software teams haven’t become lazy I don’t think. I think they are now bombarded by too many products and deadlines, and there does need to be a change at all. Apple worked with the idea that they’d hire only the best of the best, and not hire anyone but the best. This worked when they had few products, but they have far too many products now, and the resultant decline in quality and deadline completions is indicative of this, I believe. However, I still believe their hardware teams are absolutely killing it, and firing on all cylinders.

      • pdixon1986 - 8 years ago

        Ive signs off on the design aspects – including the bend issue…

        And design can be changed — i think macbook was a step in the right direction – BUT they kept old tech like the macbook air… which kinda showed that they needed back up options…

        They dont need all these products – the ipad mini 2 and the original air should not be on sale — they need confidence in their products…

        The software team is lazy… they still do have an OS specific for the ipad… they keep patching OSX… they changed the appearance of iOS several years ago now…

        I think the iOS is very out of date… and OSX is out of date — it’s bland…

        The macbook pro is many years out of date too…

        Theres nothing to wow us…

        The hardware team aren’t doing much either — they forgot to add an extra usb-c port to the macbook, they didnt figure a way to add 3D touch to the ipad pro, they weren’t able to add better CPUs to last years macbook pros (they should have delayed and explained they are waiting on intel)…

        Apple have stretched themselves – the quality is going down… but the prices are either the same or going up.

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      @shameer Apple is loosing top talent to other tech firms do to their old school work hours and work habbits. They are missing out on top talent and people are quoting to move to other companies, because of how Apple treats its employees. Their pay is also low compared to other tech companies in the Bay Area.

      Apple has a chance to strange that when they open their new ca pus. They can reorganize and cut down on hours and provide a better workplace environment.

  15. irelandjnr - 8 years ago

    Make iPad better value: kill iPad mini 2. iPad mini 4 32 GB: $349. Kill iPad Air and iPad Air 2. iPad Air 3 32 GB: $449. Add $149 = 128 GB.

  16. triankar - 8 years ago

    I hope you guys get some “leaks” on new MacBook hardware, because that’s what’s keeping me waiting for the March event…

  17. The speakers and connector are a nice upgrades. I think that and making the iPads faster is a good thing on the hardware side. Then hopefully iOS 10 will introduce more features like split screen multitasking for the newer iPads. iPad-only features that encourage users to upgrade has to be a good thing. Then all that’s missing is apps. I thought back in 2011 that Apple would bring iPads up to the level of macs in terms of functionality: they added PhotoBooth, iLife as well as having iWork. It felt inevitable that next would be Final Cut, Logo Pro and maybe even Xcode.

  18. Honestly I don’t get why they are going to add a flash to the iPad, no one wants to be that idiot holding up a huge iPad to take a photo.

  19. russ99 - 8 years ago

    I really hope it has pencil support, I much prefer the iPad Air form factor to the Pro.

    Also it’s time that the high-end iPads have a iOS Pro OS.

    Dual OS or OSX really wouldn’t work, but they need a more desktop-class OS in the mobile space to get developers to use that power, and it will be a big selling point.

    Tired of the same apps running on high-end devices as on low-end iPhones. If we want to beat Surface, we need a better OS and desktop class apps.

Author

Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is an editor for the entire 9to5 network and covers the latest Apple news for 9to5Mac.

Tips, questions, typos to chance@9to5mac.com