Apple’s iPad Air 3 Will Be Available March 18: Will It Do Better Than The iPad Pro?


There have been plenty of details leaked about the iPad 3. However, until yesterday, nobody knew the exact release date. According to 9to5Mac, we finally have a date.

“Apple is currently on target to start selling its next iPhone and iPad models the same week that the new products are introduced in March. Apple is currently planning to introduce a new 4-inch iPhone dubbed the ‘iPhone 5se’ and a new iPad Air at an event on Tuesday, March 15th, then put the products up for sale online and in retail stores as early as Friday, March 18th, according to sources.”

The article adds that Apple is unlikely to offer pre-orders for the iPad Air 3, but that could change. According to Expert Reviews, the iPad Air 3 could see a screen resolution bump (maybe up to 4K), improved speakers, a Smart Connector (which would allow for a keyboard similar to the one on the iPad Pro), and will be compatible with the Apple Pencil, which has only been available for use on the iPad Pro.

Apple iPad
Apple’s tablet business has hit the skids. [Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]
There is no doubt that Apple’s tablet business continues to falter as many people have replaced their tablets with large smartphones such as the iPhone 6s Plus or small laptop/tablet hybrids such as the Surface Pro 4. According to Fast Company, sales of iPads declined 25 percent during the last quarter, which included the holiday shopping season.

However, despite being poorly-received, there have been reports that the iPad Pro actually outsold the Surface Pro 4 and other Surface tablets during the recent holiday season. AppleInsider recently reported on the iPad Pro’s alleged success.

“Consumers have apparently taken a liking to the iPad Pro following its November release, as new data suggests that Apple moved nearly half a million more of the jumbo tablets alone than Microsoft did of its entire Surface lineup.”

Apple iPad Pro
Is the iPad Pro really a hit like some Apple “insiders” are claimint it to be? [Photo by Stephen Lam/Getty Images]
However, many argued that the “source” of the information isn’t well-known and that the iPad Pro is a lot cheaper than most versions of the Surface Pro, so Microsoft likely made more money. Many people think the problem with the iPad Pro is that it runs a mobile operating system, while people today want a tablet sized device that can replace their laptops. Even Apple’s biggest cheerleaders weren’t thrilled with the iPad Pro.

“You’d think an iPad guy like me would be over the moon about the iPad Pro, despite its hefty base price of $799 for a Wi-Fi-only model with 32GB of memory, which stretches to $949 with 128GB of memory, and soars past $1,000 with cellular capability. But I’m not,” said Walt Mossberg, a former Wall Street Journal tech writer who now writes for the Verge.

The iPad Air 3 could be a success; it’s not supposed to replace a laptop like Apple claimed the iPad Pro could. There is a lot of excitement for the iPad Air 3 on Twitter.

The iPad Air 3 probably won’t turn things around completely for Apple’s tablet business, but it’s doubtful they expect it to. Are you going to buy the iPad Air 3? Let us know in the comments section.

[Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Image]

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