“The iPad Air 3 will take design cues from Apple’s iPad Pro. One iPad Pro feature the iPad Air 3 will adopt is a Smart Connector, or Apple’s new interface for connecting an iPad-compatible keyboard to the tablet,” Daniel Sparks reports for The Motley Fool. “Another key iPad Pro feature rumored to come to the iPad Air 3 is support for Apple Pencil. The new tablet is expected to sport Apple’s A9 processor, which was first introduced with the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.”
“The iPad’s camera will likely get an update, potentially including a rear LED Flash,” Sparks reports. “The iPad Air 3 may sport an upgraded four-speaker stereo sound system like the one built into the iPad Pro.”
“Apple’s iPad update is particularly important for the company because Apple’s iPad segment has been on the decline. Indeed, iPad sales have essentially been declining on a year-over-year basis for almost two years,” Sparks reports. “Given the overall negative momentum in the segment, it’s unlikely that even a significant update to Apple’s iPad segment will reinvigorate growth. But the iPad Air 3 could help to moderate a decline in the business and maybe even help Apple begin to hold sales in the segment steady throughout the year.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Could this be the one that reinvigorates iPad unit sales? What if Apple were to get a bit more aggressive on the pricing front?
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Washington’s Farewell Address, September 19, 1796
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Apple to launch sales of 4-inch iPhone 5se and iPad Air 3 on March 18th – February 12, 2016
I’m upgrading from the iPad mini Retina.
iPad sales will probably bottom out at some point to reflect the average rate that users replace the device. Many older units are probably still in use and the owners are perfectly happy with them. We have replaced our iPad twice (every 2 years) and each time handed the older ones off to family. Most people will likely replace at longer periods especially if they are happy with the speed and the device is not malfunctioning.
Still owning and iPad 2. And not feeling the need to replace it, for the moment. The battery life, for example, is still amazing.
I think that is spot on. Everyone but me in my family (including grandkids) have an iPad and none are looking to upgrade. I sorta drooled over the new iPad Pro, but have no desire to spend the money when my Macbook Pro does all I want.
The 3 posts above on this particular thread is definitely spot on. I surely would like to have a brand new iPad even the Pro however, I watch where my money is spent and evaluate why I think I need it. I have a 3rd gen iPad and I use it every single day for multiple hours for various tasks and I’m happy with it. Why? I guess quality, the ecosystem it works within and the fact that it has never failed me. Really, I have no real or pressing need to upgrade as I have no more young kids or relatives to pass it on to. However, at some day I’ll pony up and get a new one but for now the quality and satisfaction I have in my 3rd gen suites me just fine.
iPads will definitely decline in sales or reach a peak for yearly sales but this is not derogatory element but a reflection on economics, quality and the perceived need for a new one. New users are created every day for this device and should keep it alive for a very long time until Apple develops something that would cause it to kill it. Don’t see that happening for quite a while!
It will be the “thinnest iPad we have ever made. It will be more of the same old thing” iPad sales will improve when old iPads die.
I think this is about K12. This new iPad will come with iOS 9.3 which has all the EDU features like management and multiuser built into it. The iPad is probably Apple’s most popular device in K12 and with iOS 9.3 could be interesting.
Not sure it’s enough to stop the chromebook momentum but there’s a chance if they price it competitively.
It’s kinda like the whole industry is at a stand still right now. People keep looking for “the next big thing” and putting stupid VR Goggles on for what, I don’t know. So they can send 3D selfies of their private parts to Senate staffers I guess.
But nothing is happening that really obsoletes computers these days.
I have a friend who’s entering a long term care facility and I’m giving her my iPad Air 2 when I can get an iPad Air 3. Without that impetus I wouldn’t have bothered. I think I’ll get her a keyboard to, to encourage her to write more.