With Apple expected to hold an event next month, iPad Air 3 rumors are continuing to trickle out with various degrees of reliability. The latest is yet another schematic claiming to show the upcoming iPad Air refresh courtesy of Engadget, which cites a “reliable source”. While the blueprint appears to build on existing rumors like the presence of a camera flash, Apple’s new Smart Connector, and a quad-speaker design, the illustration claims to show that the iPad Air 3 will have just barely thicker dimensions than the current 9.7-inch iPad that it replaces.
While the screen size will remain the same, the purported schematic leak claims the iPad Air 3 will be 6.15 mm thick, 169.60 mm wide and 240 mm tall. The iPad Air 2’s official tech specs put it at 6.1 mm thick, 169.5 mm wide, and 240 mm tall, so we’re talking about a 0.05 mm increase in depth and a 0.1mm jump in width. For good measure, the iPad Air was 7.5 mm thick with the same height and width as the current iPad Air 2.
The takeaway here is that if these dimensions do pan out, the iPad Air 3 will still be worthy of its ‘Air’ name and won’t even approach the depth of the original iPad Air. The difference would actually be quite difficult to notice as 0.05 mm is even less than the 0.2mm gain in thickness between the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s, which went from 6.9 mm to 7.1 mm after gaining a 3D Touch pressure sensitive display. Admittedly, the 0.1 mm increased width and sketchy appearance of the blueprint overall make us a bit skeptical.
Still, a very minor increase in thickness would not be surprising considering that Apple has been testing a version with Apple Pencil support currently only offered on the iPad Pro, as we reported last week. Apple’s digital stylus currently works exclusively with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which is the model that Apple used to introduce the quad-speaker design and Smart Connector for powering peripherals like hardware keyboards. No iPad to date has featured a camera flash, which would be a first with the iPad Air 3 and certainly a standout feature.
Apple is also expected to introduce the updated 4-inch iPhone hardware, using the name iPhone 5se as we previously reported, next month alongside new Apple Watch bands and software updates.
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Would be funny if Tim Cook were to say during the announceent ‘see how thin it is, omg I just cut myself’ and that he would actually have blood on his hands.
Then Phil comes to the rescue with an Apple Care kit.
no
I refuse to believe that the hacks at Engadget beat Gurman to a scoop. Therefore, this must be bogus.
Pretty sure Gurman’s contacts are at all, not the supply chain with schematics.
Apple*
I switched from the iPad Mini 4 to the iPad Air 2 and no matter which iPad Mini 4 you currently pick up and press on the top right or top left of the display, also center wise, you can hear a click. With the iPad Air 2 not, it’s a solid. How it should be. The more thinner you make, the less feedback a display can get and then it starts to make clicks.. I hate it. Its already super thin, why make it thinner and thinner. So annoying.
Both the Air 2 and and mini 4 are 6.1 mm thick, so thickness does not matter of the strength of the two.I think the thickness of the Air 2 is pretty much perfect. Feels good in the hands and very sturdy like you say.
My nieces iPad mini 4 is fine. You don’t switch you call Apple, they would immediately give you a new one.
.1 difference in width seems a little much the iPhone 6s increased .01 in width. If they are going to make it wider, make it wide enough to gain the number keys across the top like the iPad Pro keyboard. The thickness increase could be for the smart connector.
Im glad Apple is not as obsessed with thins as all the tech and rumors sites make them out to be.
Im curious the smart cases and keyboards that will be available for the Air 3.I would still like to see a smarter case from Apple. Surpised Apple did not make the Pencil able to charge and communicate with the iPad via the smart connector instead of using lightning.
I consider getting it and selling my pro, only if it has Pencil support though. The quad speakers seem legit, now I’m just wondering what processor it will feature. I would extremely miss the pro’s software keyboard though… The number and tab keys are such a relief.
would be the same keyboard layout but a little smaller if it had the same resolution as the pro.
Not sure about that one as it has to do with the physical size of the keyboard/keys and not the resolution. But I sure hope so!
If it has Pencil support count me in for one. Otherwise, I’ll stick with the Air 2.
No, it’s definitely not worthy of the ‘Air’ name anymore, but it has nothing to do with the increases there. It has everything to do with the fact that the iPad Mini is the ‘Air’.
Apple needs to make this one Apple Pencil compatible. That’d quite give it an edge. Smart connector is okay thought the keyboard would be a tad small but nothing different from what we normally use. And upgraded RAM too. W/o Apple Pencil support I’ll just upgrade from the iPad 4 to the iPad Air 2 coz there won’t be need for more.