iPad Air 3 release date, specs news 2016: Tablet releasing this September?

The iPad Air 3 was expected to be released last year, but Apple came out with the iPad Pro. Now, the tablet is being rumored for a release later this year.

According to the latest reports, the tech giant from Cupertino will unveil the third-generation iPad Air next month along with the iPhone 7. However, there are no solid details to corroborate this yet.

Understandably, the iPad Air 3, if Apple still has plans to launch it, should see the light of day sooner than later.

With regards to the specs, the iPad Air 3 is rumored to be powered up by an A9X processor with the new iOS 10 in tow. On the outside, a slimmer but more durable aluminum design is to be expected along with better speakers.

Interestingly, this also sounds like the "low cost" iPad that KGI Securities analyst Ming Chi-Kuo talked about in his recent research note, where he also claimed that there will be two new iPad Pro models next year.

The analyst, who holds a credible track record on Apple forecasts, said that this iPad unit will be released next year with an A9X processor, making it a budget-friendly version. He did not refer to it as an iPad Air, though.

The other two iPad units he spoke about are getting A10X. One is the iPad Pro 2, a follow-up to the original from last year with a 12.7-inch display.

The second one is all-new with a 10.5-inch screen, slightly larger than the version released early this year. It will serve as the replacement for the 9.7-inch version of the iPad Pro.

It is being said that Apple will be ditching the iPad Air brand and stick with the iPad Pro instead. After all, the company released one early this year with a 9.7-inch display.

It is unknown what the release of a low-cost iPad with the same size of the iPad Air means for the tablet line.