The last iPad Air was launched two years ago and a new one is not likely to show up this year. The iPad Air 3 is expected to see the light of day next year since the 9.7-inch iPad Pro was released just last March.

There is no doubt that the iPad Air 3 is one of the highly anticipated devices from Apple, but there is no point in releasing same sized iPads in a year. The iPad Air 2 is still going strong and the 9.7-inch Pro is slowly conquering the market, Tab Times reported.

Since Apple is not pressured to release a new tablet soon, it is taking its time to develop something new for the series. It is believed that the company is testing out a new aluminum compound that is said to be harder than the one in used today. Its use may also lead to a thinner design, not just for the iPad Air 3, but for all is product.

The rumored device is also expected to be entry level for its iPad series. There is a strong possibility that it will not have the latest processor, rumored to be the A10X chip, and will stay with the A9X or even the A9. This scenario will give the Cupertino-based tech giant the newer chips to its Pro tablets.

iTech Post added that the rumored device will have a minimum of 32GB of internal storage but may only offer up to 64GB internal storage. The 128GB and 256GB option will only remain for the iPad Pro. However, it may arrive with a dual-speaker setup like the Pro tablets. The True Tone display panel is also rumored to arrive to the iPad Air 3, but then again, this may also be reserved to its higher-end cousins.

When it comes to pricing, tech observers suggest that Apple will stick to its US$599 starting price, but may go down as low as US$499 depending on the features to be added.

The iPad Air 3 is now expected to arrive by March 2017.