Another Report Claims No iPad Air 3 Launching in Near Future

ipad_air_2_mini_3Apple is expected to announce new iPhones and iPads over the next month or so in preparation for the holiday shopping season, but it remains unclear which iPad models in particular will be unveiled.

It is widely believed that a new iPad mini 4 will be announced, but rumors about the iPad Air 3 and so-called "iPad Pro" and their respective release dates have been inconsistent thus far.

A new report from Taiwanese blog DigiTimes offers some further details, corroborating a previous rumor that Apple is not planning an iPad Air 3 right now and focusing its efforts on the iPad mini 4.

The report claims that Apple's upstream supply chain is readying components for the fourth-generation tablet, noting that it will only have minor upgrades over the current iPad mini. Recent reports suggest the upcoming 7.9-inch tablet will likely be a slimmed down version of the iPad Air 2 and support split-view multitasking.

DigiTimes has a mixed track record at reporting on Apple's upcoming product plans, so its latest report should be treated with a proverbial grain of salt. Moreover, the more reliable Japanese blog Mac Otakara reported in July that an A9-based iPad Air 3 is still possible for 2015, so Apple's roadmap remains unclear and could change between now and the forthcoming iPhone and iPad event.

Apple has faced six consecutive quarters of declining iPad sales year-over-year as the broader tablet market continues to decline.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Caution)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Battery Capacity and Weight Allegedly Revealed

Monday May 19, 2025 2:22 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air later this year, and while there have been plenty of rumors about the camera's overall design and thinness, we haven't heard any details about the device's weight and battery capacity until now. According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean-langauge Naver blog, the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air has a weight ...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's 'CarPlay Ultra' Experience Now Available

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:07 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation ...
Apple Glass

Apple Smart Glasses: Everything We Know So Far

Wednesday May 21, 2025 8:21 am PDT by
Google made waves yesterday by showcasing a set of lightweight smart glasses featuring deep Gemini integration and an optional in-lens display. The demo has reignited interest in Apple's own smart glasses project, which has been the subject of rumors for nearly a decade. Here's a recap of where things stand. Current Development Status Apple is actively working on new chips specifically...
WWDC 2025 Banner

Apple Announces WWDC 2025 Schedule, Including Keynote Time

Tuesday May 20, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced a more detailed schedule for its annual developers conference WWDC, which runs from June 9 through June 13. The schedule confirms that Apple's keynote will begin on Monday, June 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, with a live stream to be available on Apple.com, in the Apple TV app, and on YouTube. During the keynote, Apple is expected to announce iOS 19, iPadOS 19, macOS 16,...
macOS 16 visionOS Inspired Feature 1

macOS 16: Everything We Know So Far

Tuesday May 20, 2025 7:31 am PDT by
The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple's annual developer and software-oriented event, is less than three weeks away. We haven't heard a great deal about macOS 16 ahead of its announcement this year, so we could be in for some major surprises when June 9 rolls around. Here's what we know so far about the next major update to Apple's Mac operating system. macOS 16 Name? Every year ...
Apple Intelligence General Feature

Report: Apple's Next-Gen Version of Siri Is 'On Par' With ChatGPT

Monday May 19, 2025 9:00 am PDT by
Apple has big plans to improve Siri over the next few years, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Drake Bennett report. Some Apple executives are now reportedly pushing to turn Siri into a true ChatGPT competitor. A next-generation, chatbot version of Siri has reportedly made significant progress during testing over the past six months; some executives allegedly now see it as "on par" with recent...

Top Rated Comments

Dulcimer Avatar
128 months ago
iPads need wider screens... They absolutely suck for watching movies or other video content thats shot in 16:9 aspect ratio. Your 9.7" screen becomes like 7" because all you see is black bars...
But for almost everything else, the 4:3 aspect ratio is better.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gsmornot Avatar
128 months ago
The bonus here is that I can feel good about my iPad Air 2, its age and hopefully about it not being coded into extension as fast. I use it daily but don't need/want to buy another for quite some time unless its for someone else.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JoEw Avatar
128 months ago
iPads last too long. People just don't upgrade them that often.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jmpnop Avatar
128 months ago
iPads need wider screens... They absolutely suck for watching movies or other video content thats shot in 16:9 aspect ratio. Your 9.7" screen becomes like 7" because all you see is black bars...
Not everyone's primary need is watching videos, 4:3 is better for almost everything else.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Eadfrith Avatar
128 months ago
A price cut would improve sales
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
brendu Avatar
128 months ago
iPads need wider screens... They absolutely suck for watching movies or other video content thats shot in 16:9 aspect ratio. Your 9.7" screen becomes like 7" because all you see is black bars...
I disagree. I do a whole lot more than watching movies on my iPad and would hate a 16:9 ratio for all the things I do that aren't movies.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)