Apple is aware that fans are clamoring for an iPad Air 2 successor and have been waiting since September of last year. The Air tablet series is one of the company's most popular lines. Fans are expecting to see the iPad Air 3 to arrive together with the iPhone 7, in either September or October this year.

The iPad Air 3 was expected to be announced last September, alongside the iPhone 6s. It did not show up. Fans waited for March, hoping that the rumored tablet would arrive together with the iPhone SE, but still there was nothing. Apple instead opted to launch the iPad Pro, that has its 12.9-inch and 9.7-inch models.

The fact that the company created a 9.7-inch iPad Pro, the size of the Air tablet, made many speculate that the iPad Air 2 is the last of its kind. Even if it is a long shot, fans included the WWDC event as a possible venue for the iPad Air 3's launch, but the event was generally dedicated to software.

The mid-size iPad Air is expected to be thinner than its predecessor. However, industry analysts are wondering how much thinner the third iteration can possibly get since the last tablet in the series is already thin. Its functions may already be compromised it if gets too thin. It may also bend easily, though it is said to be using a 7000-series bend-proof aluminum body, like the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. The iPad Pro came out with the same thickness as the iPad Air 2

A Smart Connector and Apple Pencil-compatibility is also said to arrive with the rumored tablet.  Plus, it may be offered in four colors, namely silver, gold, space grey and rose gold.

An A9 or A9X or A10X processor, 3GB of RAM, an upgraded main camera equipped with a flash, improved resolution that also increases the pixel density, and several more are also expected to come along with the device.

Apple has not issued any official statement with regards to the iPad Air 3, so fans can only wait for the meantime.