According to rumors, the iPad Air 3 was supposed to launch in September last year but had to give way to the iPad Pro as Apple's answer to the Surface Pro 4 by Microsoft. It was then speculated that the iPad Air 3 will finally appear next month.
However, new rumors suggest that the release of the iPad Air 3 will be delayed once again, and this time, the culprit may yet be another iPad Pro iteration..
9to5Mac mentioned that at the rumored March event, fans will see a smaller iPad Pro, with a 9.7-inch display. Although smaller in size, the upcoming Apple tablet will retain most of the features and specs of its older brother, carrying the A9X chipset and the same RAM configurations. In addition, the smaller iPad Pro will still have the same screen technology that will enable the owners to use the Apple Pencil.
The iPad Pro has been touted as a professional-level hybrid laptop due to its Smart Connector and Smart Keyboard attachment, and it looks like the smaller iPad Pro will also have the same options. The industry follower added that the "iPad Pro Mini" will have its own Smart Connector, and the Cupertino-based company is already hard at work readying a smaller Smart Keyboard attachment that will complement the small tablet.
This new development raises the question of whether there will still be an iPad Air 3. According to MacRumors, Apple's release of a smaller iPad Pro with roughly the same dimensions as the iPad Air lineup – but more powerful – will further simplify the company's tablet lineup. Allegedly, the iPad Air will be discontinued, with the iPad Air 2 the entry-level tablet, which will be marketed as the mid-range variant alongside the iPad Pro, "iPad Pro Mini," and the iPad Mini 4.
The new iPad Pro is speculated to appear at the rumored Apple event on March 15.
