According to the leaked image, the new tablet features the same self-balancing, four-speaker audio design as the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro, where speaker activation depends on the orientation of the tablet. While this is a pretty neat trick, it does come at a price.
NoWhereElse.fr - Apple iPad Air 3 Prototype Sketch-Up (January 2016)
Back in November 2015, iFixit did a teardown of the first-generation iPad Pro in which the reviewers noted that the larger tablet's four-speaker design fills such a large internal space that it could have potentially held up to 50 percent more battery capacity. If the leak is to be taken with any more than two grains of salt, this might suggest that Apple might compromise a bit on battery in order to cram four self-balancing speakers into its new ultrathin tablet design.
iFixit's statement on the self-balancing, four-speaker design in Apple's 12.9-inch iPad Pro
The iPad Air 3 sketch-up also shows a rear LED flash bulb right next to the rear camera, a first for any of Apple’s tablets since the original iPad launched in April 2010.
Six years after getting its feet wet (or soaked) into the tablet industry, the rear LED flash seems to suggest that Apple may finally be embracing one of our most frowned upon forms of on-the-go photography. Yes, we are talking about tablet photography, the unsightly gesture of holding a 5-inch and above LED-backlit screen to your face to capture some of life’s most cherished moments. To our dismay, we have seen the act in action many times – even recently during a graduation ceremony.
Nevertheless, the NoWhereElse.fr story author clearly states that there is no way to ensure 100 percent reliability of the leaked information from the source where the document was obtained.
While a release date for the iPad Air 3 isn’t solid just yet, the world’s most accurate Apple analyst claims that it may release at some point during the first half of 2016. While he doesn't mention the iPad Air 3 by name, he does suggest that Apple may be launching new products before the end of June.
“We see MacBook as a stronger candidate for becoming a theme given solid growth in the business segment, as well as a potential upgrade to hit the market in 1H16”, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote in a note to investors over the weekend.
Of course, this is all dependent on whether or not Apple has any “one more thing” surprises up its sleeves this spring. It is also important to keep the needs of corporate and educational users in mind regarding the iPad Air 3 – especially those who buy in bulk for firms, institutions and schools. If the third-generation ultrathin tablet gains the Apple Pencil from the iPad Pro, along with 3D touch, it could put the fruit-themed toymaker into a much more comfortable space with teachers, students and big companies that don’t necessarily need rather expensive 12.9-inch tablets in their learning and office environments.
