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I doubt the air 3 will have pencil support. Aside from a bigger screen, the pencil is the pro's only other usp and without it its just a bigger, faster ipad.

In keeping with its title (Pro) i think the pencil will be exclusive to pro models.
TBH i think apple realise that in reality the pro is just an ipad XL but the pencil kinda gives it it's pro wings
I don't agree with this. Apple wants developers big and small to make apps for the pencil, and small developers with limited resources and no brand recognition simply won't take the risk of devoting resources to it if it stays as a niche accessory for a niche product. It needs to support the Air next year if Apple wants it to gain traction.

It's good for it have an exclusive roll out with the most expensive iPad to get those sales really quickly, but if there are going to be a ton of apps for this thing it needs to eventually support all the iPads.
 
I don't agree with this. Apple wants developers big and small to make apps for the pencil, and small developers with limited resources and no brand recognition simply won't take the risk of devoting resources to it if it stays as a niche accessory for a niche product. It needs to support the Air and the mini next year if it wants to gain traction.

Agree, with Mini and Air being their best sellers by far, it would be dumb not to allow pencil support by selling alot more $100 pencils.
 
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I don't agree with this. Apple wants developers big and small to make apps for the pencil, and small developers with limited resources and no brand recognition simply won't take the risk of devoting resources to it if it stays as a niche accessory for a niche product. It needs to support the Air next year if Apple wants it to gain traction.

It's good for it have an exclusive roll out with the most expensive iPad to get those sales really quickly, but if there are going to be a ton of apps for this thing it needs to eventually support all the iPads.

Agree, with Mini and Air being their best sellers by far, it would be dumb not to allow pencil support by selling alot more $100 pencils.

That's what I've been saying. I believe that there is a good chance that the Air 3 will support the Pencil. For some, there is wishful thinking that it would be exclusive to the Pro to justify their purchase of the Pro.
 
My bet is October, but I would be ecstatic with a Q1 release.

I would love 3D touch plus all other hardware feature parity—just with a smaller screen—with the Pro. If that happens, I'll happily wait until October.
 
My guess is back to a spring launch for iPad. It'd make no sense to try to stuff all of their devices into the fall event- iPhone, Apple TV, ipad, ipad mini and ipad pro- it's just too many items. The event was already stuffed and 2 hours long without the regular iPad.

Plus we're already at the longest refresh cycle for an iOS device ever with the Air 2 at 16-17 months come the spring event. I just don't see them pushing it to 24-25 months.

Big reason I didnt pull the trigger on a BF deal. Plus even come Jan-Feb there will be good deals when the device is so old anyway if you want one and there are no rumors/leaks a few weeks before the event.
 
My money is on October next year. I suspect they will alternate upgrading the Air and Pro each year for the foreseeable. So, Pro this year, Air 3 in 2016, Pro 2 in 2017.

Just a hunch.
That is actually a really good idea when you think about it. Would also explain why they didn't update the iPad Air line this year. Tablets are kind of at a peak right now. They can only get so much better every year so it makes sense to update them every OTHER year. But how do you do that and not look like you're a company that's just...stagnant? Update one line of iPads this year and another the next. iPad mini and air one year and the pro the next.

I just wonder how much will trickle from the pro to the air 3. I'd be a little pissed if I waited a year and they still didn't make it compatible with Apple pencil
 
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Agree, with Mini and Air being their best sellers by far, it would be dumb not to allow pencil support by selling alot more $100 pencils.

I can't disagree, but I just don't think that is the segment that Apple is targeting with the iPad Pro. If they keep the pencil exclusive to the larger display Pro then that is what will push it selling. If you want the pencil you buy the Pro and if you don't need the pencil then you get the Air or Mini. I hope I am many others are wrong about this. One thing for sure in the next 12 months we are going to find out. Who knows... maybe because Apple didn't upgrade the Air 2 this year, they may drop a Air 3 in the spring with pencil support.

Personally I would rather see the Mini and Air support 3D Touch over the pencil, because I don't think they can do both, but I don't know maybe they can.

It's sort of like what the hell is Apple still selling 16GB based models for? We all know they should go with at least 32GB, but they won't do it.
 
My money is on October next year. I suspect they will alternate upgrading the Air and Pro each year for the foreseeable. So, Pro this year, Air 3 in 2016, Pro 2 in 2017.

Just a hunch.

This is my exact feeling, the Air line will be updated the same year as the iPhone non-S line and the iPad Pro will be updated on the same year as the iPhone S line.
 
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No way apple will include native pencil support for the next iPad mini or air.
Just wishful thinking from people that don't want to buy the pro.
iPad pro won' t have a usp anymore.
Live with it, or buy the iPad pro .

Perhaps iPad Air 3 will be thinner(Alu 7000) have 3D Touch , (I guess iPad pro 2 also) , faster touchid,updated soc, more ram(2 or 3 gb) , but it won' t get the smart connector or pencil support. Perhaps 3D Touch will open the door for a better passive stylus, but that' s it.

iPad Air 3 will perhaps be launched in April/May and i believe the mini won't be updated till 2017. The mini is their low end and to keep it profitable R&d will slow down.
 
G
Agreed, I think that Apple will keep the pencil as a Pro only feature.
enuine stupid move if they do. The power and size is the USP of the Pro allowing you to see and do more. Accessories need to be universal. The Pencil I think is more of a beta test on the Pro to see if people got behind a $100 stylus and the answer is yes. But they won't be able to sell many as only a small proportion of users will buy a Pro.

If they can bring that support to the iPad then I would honestly say around 1 in 3 users will get an Apple Pencil. As for the keyboard I hate to say it but Microsoft are killing Apple in this area. The Pro keyboard is fiddly and frankly not a great use with no trackpad built in. The Pro 4 trackpad is really good. If Apple could get a physical keyboard cover for the regular iPad it would sell very well. Losing half your display to a keyboard is stupid on an iPad.
 
I too am wondering about the air 3. I currently own an air and the misses a 1st gen mini which is getting slow.

I will pass her my air when I upgrade but not sure if I should jump for the air 2 or wait for the air 3.

If I knew for certain it was Spring 2016 I'd hold off for sure.
 
Here are the Rumored specs for iPad Air 3 as of November 2015
  • Display: So the rumor is the iPad Air 3 will bring "4K" display with the screen resolution of 2,334 x 3,112 @ 401 PPI up from the current 1,536 x 2,048 @ 264 PPI. However, Here's another possibility. It could also match the iPad Pro's resolution of 2732 x 2048 @ 352 PPI.

  • Chip: A9 or A9X chipset. Most possibly A9X since A9 won't be better than the current A8X that's in the iPad Air 2. So, more than likely we'll get the A9X chip which is in the iPad Pro but slightly lower clocked.

  • RAM: I Think Apple will stick to 2GB RAM for the Air iPads for a while. But... It may well be a 3/4 GB too. iPad Pro has 4 GB and Price of RAM is quite cheap so why not.

  • Camera: So the iPad Air 2 basically got the camera of iPhone 5s. So It's possible that the iPad Air 3 will get the camera of the iPhone 6. 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2.1-megapixel front camera. This new camera will bring Focus Pixels technology, Auto image stabilization (but no Optical image stabilization), an improved ƒ/2.2 aperture, 1080p video at 60fps and Slo-mo video at 240fps etc. Or maybe Apple will keep them unchanged but I doubt it since they'll be updating the iPad Air 3 after two whole years.
So based on these evidence we can say. Apple will definitely bring 3D Touch to next year's iPads.

  • Smart Keyboard & Apple Pencil: Smart Keyboard & Apple Pencil is a definite possibility. I don't see why Apple would restrict Smart Keyboard & Apple Pencil to only a very niche market of the iPad Pro when they can sell more accessories with the more popular iPad Air 3 and iPad Mini even.

  • Waterproof: Apple unofficially made iPhone 6s and 6s Plus water resistance. So, a water resistant iPad Air 3 is a definite possibility.

  • Other: iPad Air 3 could see further battery size reduction to make room for the 3D Touch hardware. This iPad could also bring the Taptic Engine to the iPad for 3D Touch feedback. And also iPad Air 3 will include faster 2nd gen Touch ID that's currently in the iPhone 6s.
 
No way apple will include native pencil support for the next iPad mini or air.
Just wishful thinking from people that don't want to buy the pro.
Or wishful thinking (that the Air 3 won't support the Pencil) from people who shelled out more money for the Pro simply for the Pencil. :p

There are currently 3 external distinctives between the Air 2 and the Pro:
  • Tablet size
  • keyboard port
  • Pencil

Out of those 3, only the Pencil is something that can be carried over to the Air 3 without major disruption to the ecosystem. I doubt Apple would add the keyboard port to the Air 3 because it would then necessitate a different keyboard cover.

There are already bluetooth pens available for the Air 2, bringing the Apple Pencil to the Air 3 simply brings a more integrated, elegant, and reliable solution, not something totally new.

Apple will sell more iPad Air 3 units than Pro. Adding support for the Pencil to the Air 3 means that Apple has the potential to sell more $99 Pencils.

Apple made Touch ID exclusive to the iPhone for a year (iPhone 5S in Oct 2013, iPad Air 2 in Oct 2014).
 
I'm loving the Pro but I'm not sure I wouldn't replace it with an iPad Air 3 if it had Pencil support, higher pixel density, and 3D Touch. The larger size of the Pro is great to use, but definitely hinders portability a bit. Practically it's not much of a difference, but my Air I feel like I can just toss around in a bag or something whereas the Pro I feel like I'm being a lot more careful with it - could just be because the newness hasn't worn off yet.

The iPad line as a whole is really coming together and I think each iteration going forward is going to offer a lot as far as hardware advancements and software functionality.
 
That is actually a really good idea when you think about it. Would also explain why they didn't update the iPad Air line this year. Tablets are kind of at a peak right now. They can only get so much better every year so it makes sense to update them every OTHER year. But how do you do that and not look like you're a company that's just...stagnant? Update one line of iPads this year and another the next. iPad mini and air one year and the pro the next.

I just wonder how much will trickle from the pro to the air 3. I'd be a little pissed if I waited a year and they still didn't make it compatible with Apple pencil

Yep. Ditto-city here. My Air still works perfectly and handles 99% of what I throw at it. Sure, more RAM would allow possibly smoother browsing with several tabs but overall it runs like a champ. Many peole I know(wifey included) are using 4th gen iPads as well, even 2nd/3rd gen devices that still get the job done. The "power users" have to realize that they are a small segment of the tablet user base and these grand scenarios of monster-spec tablets just isnt going to happen.

That being said, Id jump on an Air 3 if they take care of the screen/chassis vibration issues that plague the Air 2. :)
 
I feel like saying Air and maybe Mini won't get Pencil support because then screen size is the only thing differentiating the Pro is akin to saying screen size is the "only" thing differentiating the 15" MBP. Yes there's a performance difference as well (which I think will also apply to the Air compared to the Pro), but screen size is kinda a big deal that can have a noticeable effect on a lot of tasks.

Sure, the Air/Mini can do split screen, but if you're doing things like they showed in the keynote, i.e. Office and the Adobe apps, the extra space makes it much easier to work. Likewise, for more casual tasks, such as reading on the couch, the smaller screen is better, even though the Pro can also do it.

The Pencil is an interaction method that allows for more features, but is not confined to them, and so I really don't see the sense in keeping it confined to the Pro.
 
The pencil will come to other iPads eventually. Apple clearly spent A LOT of R&D creating their own solution to the stylus problem. If they had just added an already existing solution like wacom or ntrig to the pro, then yes, I could see it staying a pro only feature. But this is like if apple came out with the force touch trackpad for the macbook and then never let it come to any other apple laptops... You don't spend that much time developing a new way of interfacing with your devices and then limit it to a device you KNOW is a niche product.

But whether it comes to the iPad Air 3 or they take their time about. That I don't know.
 
I have to agree. The screen and chassis vibration issues turned me off to the Air 2 but I would like an upgrade nonetheless. But... Ehh.... I just can't pull the trigger on the Air 2. The deals aren't good enough yet and I'd be pissed if the Air 3 were to come it in spring. I'm going to keep using my perfectly good Air for now.

Well....I picked up an iPad Air 2 (built in Oct 2015) the first week on Nov and it has NO chassis vibration issues!
 
Well....I picked up an iPad Air 2 (built in Oct 2015) the first week on Nov and it has NO chassis vibration issues!

My A2 has the same build date as yours (Was a replacement from apple) and i noticed The vibrations while still apparent were massively reduced from my previous A2.
I also think the alluminium casing feels different...If thats possible??
 
Or wishful thinking (that the Air 3 won't support the Pencil) from people who shelled out more money for the Pro simply for the Pencil. :p

There are currently 3 external distinctives between the Air 2 and the Pro:
  • Tablet size
  • keyboard port
  • Pencil

Out of those 3, only the Pencil is something that can be carried over to the Air 3 without major disruption to the ecosystem. I doubt Apple would add the keyboard port to the Air 3 because it would then necessitate a different keyboard cover.

There are already bluetooth pens available for the Air 2, bringing the Apple Pencil to the Air 3 simply brings a more integrated, elegant, and reliable solution, not something totally new.

Apple will sell more iPad Air 3 units than Pro. Adding support for the Pencil to the Air 3 means that Apple has the potential to sell more $99 Pencils.

Apple made Touch ID exclusive to the iPhone for a year (iPhone 5S in Oct 2013, iPad Air 2 in Oct 2014).

I don' t have a pro yet, so it doesn't matter to me .

But the keyboard and pencil are the features that make the iPad pro , " pro" .

I guess the air 3 will feature an even thinner design and the speakers of the pro, and the variable refresh rate, perhaps even 3D Touch.

But to keep it thin , it won' t have the advanced hw screen digitizer or the smart connector.

Perhaps iPad Air 4. Or iPad Air 3, but only if the iPad Air 3 launches around the same time as the iPad pro 2 ( with new pro features) or even later.

No way Apple will allow the cheaper tablet with less margins to have pencil support, it will kill the market for the pro , and it will lose its usp.

They just not want too sell more pencils, but they want too sell more iPad pro 's and pencils.
 
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