Back when the Apple iPad Air 2 was unveiled at a launch event in October 2014, fans and analysts have started looking forward to what the iPad Air 3 will be. The subsequent release of iOS 9 also fueled the interest about iPad Air 3, but up until now not even a single hint was provided by Apple.

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There was a handful of leaked information about the iPad Air 3 that surfaces from time to time, but not one of these was real enough to speculate that the device is indeed under development. Devoted Apple users have spent their time piecing together these leaks and bits and pieces of information in order to get at least a hint.

Regarding the launch date of the iPad Air 3, tech analyst Ming Chi-Kuo who has built his reputation in accurately predicting the specs and release date of several Apple products in the past said that the flagship tablet from Apple will finally see the light of day within the first half of 2016.

Late in November 2015, Cult of Mac reported that the iPad Air 3 will be thinner that the iPad Air 2. The new tablet has a smaller battery which allows Apple to shrink its thickness down to just 5mm. The body is built of 7000-series aluminum and may be water- and dust- proof.

As for its specs, the iPad Air 3 is expected to run on the latest A9 or A9x chip. Compared to the iPad Air 2's A8x chip, the A9 or A9x is faster and battery efficient. It also makes sense for Apple to choose its newest chipset since the company previously announced that it will focus more on power efficiency rather than processor speed.

One of the most interesting rumors about the iPad Air 3 is that it will not feature the new 3D Touch pressure-sensitive technology just like on the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, according to Mac World.

As for its camera, the iPad Air 3 will have an 8-megapixel rear facing camera and a 2.1-megapixel front facing camera. Display size is rumored to be 9.7-inch and will support a 3112 x 2334 resolution.

Regarding its price, market analysts are predicting that the iPad Air 3 Wi-Fi only model with 16GB storage space is most likely to costs around $565.