iPad Air 3 release rumors: Next-gen iPad Air will have four speakers

[photo: YouTube Screen Capture/CTNtechnologynews]

New reports indicate a new feature that the upcoming iPad Air 3 will be borrowing from the iPad Pro: four surround speakers instead of the usual two speakers.

According to a report by French website NWH, the iPad Air 3 will have four speakers with one speaker on each corner of the device that will simulate a surround-sound like experience for users. The report is based on a leaked blueprint of what is believed to be a 2016 update of the iPad Air, although its validity is not 100 percent proven.

The four-speaker set-up was first introduced by the Apple when the Cupertino-based company launched the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and the design was well received. It would make sense that the tech builder continue with the same set-up for its succeeding iPad tablet releases.

The blueprints also indicate that the iPad Air 3 will also be equipped with a flash on the back-side camera end, which may not be as readily received as the four-speaker design given that people who own iPads are not big on using the tablet for shooting photos. However, there's no telling how the market will respond to such an addition until it finally comes out in the market.

Youth Health Magazine shares that rumours are starting to point at a March launch for the iPad Air 3 alongside the heavily rumoured 4-inch iPhone which is also said to be released in the same period.

Other specs that are expected with the release of the Air 3 include either an A9 or A9X processor on the next-generation, although analysts are bending more towards the A9 considering the price difference between the two processors, and the same 9.7-inch display with a screen resolution of 2334 x 3112 pixels. There is also reason to believe that the next-generation light-weight iPad will sport a Touch ID feature and 4K resolution.