Apple did not launch the successor of the iPad Air 2, dubbed iPad Air 3, in September 2015. Rumors suggest that Apple may unveil the iPad Air 3 at an event in March this year.
Undoubtedly, the iPad Air 3 will have some enhanced features in comparison to the iPad Air 2. Apple has not yet revealed any details of the iPad Air 3. However, here is the comparison of current iPad Air 2 with the speculated features of the iPad Air 3.
Display
The iPad Air 2 sports a 9.7-inch Retina display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels. The screen size of the iPad Air 3 is expected to be the same as its predecessor but the upcoming tablet may have 4K display that packs in more pixels in comparison to the display of the iPad Air 2.
Processor And RAM
The iPad Air 2 is powered by Apple's own A8X processor. Apple used the faster A9X processor in the iPad Pro launched in September 2015 and speculations are high that the iPad Air 3 may also get the same processor.
Apple does not reveal the RAM capacity of its iDevices. However, according to iFixit (who performed a teardown of the iPad Air 2) the 9.7-inch tablet has 2GB of RAM.
Rumors are surfacing that Apple may include a 4 GB RAM in the upcoming iPad Air 3.
3D Touch
Apple introduced a pressure-sensitive technology in the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus. Previous reports suggest that Apple is working on scalable 3D Touch that can be used in bigger devices such as iPads.
iPad lovers will hope that the iPad Air 3 includes 3D Touch but reports suggest that the technology may not be used in next-generation iPads.
Camera
The iPad Air 2 is equipped with an 8-megapixel iSight camera without a flash and a 1.2-megapixel FaceTime camera.
A leaked image of the purported iPad Air 3 suggests that the upcoming tablet will have a rear flash to go with the iSight camera. Rumors suggest that Apple will retain the 8-megapixel iSight camera in the iPad Air 3 but will bump up the FaceTime camera to 2.1-megapixel.
Design And Form Factor
The iPad Air 1 was thinner than the iPad 4 and the iPad Air 2 was slightly thinner than the iPad Air 1. The iPad Air 3 is expected to be 5mm thick, which will be thinner than the predecessor which is 6.1mm thick.
The iPad Air 2 has two speakers that are located at the bottom on the tablet. A leaked image of what could be the iPad Air 3 suggests that the upcoming Apple tablet may have four speakers: two speakers at both the top ends of the tablet and two at both the bottom of the tablet.
Battery
The iPad Air 2 has a 27.3-watt-hour battery, which is smaller than the battery found in its predecessor. However, Apple claims that the iPad Air 2 offers the same usage time as the iPad Air 1.
Rumors suggest that a thin iPad Air 3 design may result in a smaller battery capacity. However, it is likely that Apple will optimize the iPad Air 3 in a way that will result in same usage time even with a smaller battery.
Colors
The iPad Air 2 is available in Silver, Gold and Space Gray color options. Rumors claim that the iPad Air 3 may also come in a Rose Gold color option.
