iPad Air 3 release date, specs news, update: iPad Air 3 to launch on iPad Air 2's 2nd birthday?

Tech bloggers have been talking about the imminent release of the rumored iPad Air 3 since early 2015. More than a year later, it now appears as though the highly anticipated super slim tablet from Apple is almost here.

Reports now indicate that the tech giant could unveil its new iPad Air on the second birthday of the iPad Air 2, which was announced back in October 2014.

Last year, tech industry watchers pegged the launch date for the iPad Air 3 as sometime in October, marking around a year after the unveiling of the iPad Air 2.

This would have followed a pattern set by the original iPad Air, which debuted in October 2013 and hit store shelves in November of the same year. The yearly October launch date appeared to be Apple's standard iPad Air release schedule.

However, October 2015 came and went without a word about the rumored iPad Air 3.

Instead, in March 2016, Apple dropped a new iPad — the 9.7-inch iPad Pro — an improved version of the older iPad Pro with a 12.9-inch screen. The launch of the new iPad gave rise to speculation that Apple will discontinue its iPad Air line to focus on its more powerful and more expensive iPad Pros.

Nonetheless, Apple fans and pundits now believe that the iPad Air 3 could be launched sometime this month or perhaps in November.

This is despite some outlet's observation that with Apple having already unveiled a sizable lineup of new products in September, an iPad Air 3 release seems highly unlikely. Should October and November pass by without an iPad Air unveiling, MacWorld says that fans may have to accept that Apple is moving away from its iPad Air brand.

Though the iPad Air 2 is already slimmer than the original  iPad Air, PC Advisor UK says that Apple may manage to shave off another millimeter or two from the iPad Air 3's chassis.

There's also talk about the device being built with a stronger type of aluminum, making it more durable than its predecessors.

The outlet also notes that while Apple surely has a lot of new features up its sleeve, the company may have to hold back on adding loads of new improvements to the iPad Air 3.

For example, the iPad Air 3 is expected to come with a 9.7-inch screen and 2,048 x 1,536 resolution, similar to the iPad Pro. However, building the device with a True Tone screen similar to the iPad Pro gives consumers one less reason to purchase the Pro variant, which is more expensive than the iPad Air.

Apple has not announced the official release date for the rumored iPad Air 3.