As much as the firm likes surprising consumers with its "one more thing" launches and ultra-secret approach to development, it is, ultimately, in Apple's interest to be predictable...to an extent. Predictable in terms of when things will launch, that is - predictability helps generate hype, as consumers get used to knowing when a next-gen device will turn up and when they should start considering a replacement. It enables consumer planning. It's also useful, of course, from the corporate perspective, in having a regular plan every year to work around.

Apple's had a pretty standardised way of launching devices for many years now. Every September, like clockwork, we'd see new Mac computers and iPhone handsets announced together at one big event, then a few months later around November, Apple would host another event to unveil its new iPad Air and iPad Mini tablets. Things have been mixed up a bit more recently with Apple TV and Apple Watch being shoehorned in where convenient, but by and large, that's the MO we've become used to.

Last year though, 2015, Apple mixed it up somewhat. Almost EVERYTHING was launched at its September event, including the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPad Pro, iPad Mini 4, and the Apple TV. It all got splurged out in one giant truck-load. However, take a look at that list again and you should notice that two particular device categories are missing - the standard 9.7in iPad, which has now become the iPad Air brand, and the Apple Watch. 

Info has been steadily trickling out though, suggesting that an iPad Air 3 is indeed in the works and may be coming at an entirely new calendar point for Apple in mid-March, alongside the much-rumoured 4in iPhone 5se (aka the iPhone 6c, aka the iPhone 7c, depending on who you believe!) and possibly a revamped Apple Watch.

BUT It Might Not Carry The Air Brand

Apple might be planning to launch a smaller iPad Pro at the firm's supposed March launch - the same event that would see a release of the 4in iPhone 5se and the 9.7in iPad Air 3, but here's the kicker, this smaller iPad Pro would be the same 9.7in size as the iPad Air; much smaller than the current iPad Pro's 12.9in display.

The word comes via reputable publication 9To5Mac, which claims to have heard from its unnamed sources regarding the matter. The report states that Apple's March event will take place on March 15 specifically, and that the 9.7in iPad Pro will begin shipping on March 18. It says the 9.7in iPad Pro will be pretty much identical in terms of specs and design to the larger 12.9in model, including the use of an A9X processor with 4GB of RAM, support for a smaller sized Smart Keyboard accessory, and an updated display compatible with the Apple Pencil stylus. The only difference, it seems, will be the screen size and overall size of the device. Quad stereo speakers are also onboard, and it's believed the same storage models and colour options will be available as the 12.9in iPad Pro, however, the 9.7in model will allegedly be similar in price to the iPad Air series.

Apple will bring its Rose Gold colour option to more products in 2016. According to reports, the company will introduce the colour scheme to its iPhone 5se, new MacBooks and iPad Air 3 (or (9.7 Pro) in 2016. All three products were tipped to launch at Apple's rumoured March event alongside the Apple Watch 2, but 9to5 Mac reckons the 12in MacBook and iPad Mini might not — meaning a launch later on this year.

**the iPad Air 3 and iPad Pro 9.7 are the same thing in this article**

We haven't actually heard a great deal from the rumour mill about the next-gen iPad prior to this, it's all been about the iPhones, the iPad Pro, and a little about the iPad Mini 4. According to initial info from Chinese publication MyDrivers the iPad Air 3 will retain the 9.7in display size but will see a bump in resolution up to 2334 x 3112 pixels at around 401ppi.

9to5Mac had this to say on the subject of an iPad Air refresh: "The launch of the new iPad Air 3 will mark the first significant upgrade to Apple's 9.7-inch tablet line since the Air 2 debuted in October 2014. The Air 3 is expected to include iPad Pro features like enhanced speakers and a Smart Connector, which could mean that a smaller Smart Keyboard is on the way. Unconfirmed drawings from case maker sources of the new iPad model also indicate the possibility of a rear-LED flash, and this addition would be a first for any iPad model."

Much of the info so far has also been annoyingly vague, suggesting the device could have an Apple A9 chip or an A9X, somewhere between 2GB and 4GB of RAM. The projected release dates were also all over the shop.

Our money is on an A9X as that has been Apple's MO with previous iPad Air models. We're not so sure about the RAM but find it hard to believe Apple will offer 4GB as this is already inside the iPad Pro.

Reportedly the battery size will be reduced from the iPad Air 2's 7,340mAh setup. There could be a number of reasons for this, perhaps the increased resolution on the display, an even thinner bodyshell (a rumoured 5mm), or even the proposed IPX7 waterproofing certification which is also part of this rumour set.

Alleged camera and memory specs are not so bold and sit pretty well with existing offerings - 16GB, 64GB and 128GB, with the cameras being 8MP on the rear and 2.1MP on the front.

Now, as of February 2, a new set of leaks has emerged via Engadget and sources it claims are reliable, with the report implying that the iPad Air 3 will take a lot of design and feature cues from the iPad Pro itself...interesting that Apple is prepared to canibalise these and risk reducing the iPad Pro's uniqueness. Anyway, the report also contains a set of leaked schematics alleged to show the iPad Air 3's dimensions (240 x 169.6 x 6.15mm), at the very least supporting these claims on the subject of aesthetic design, and a few notable features such as ports, a smart connector for the keyboard, and quad speakers. The camera also has an LED flash.

Lastly, it's claimed the iPad Air 3 won't be waiting until the end of the year to launch, and will instead be another wildcard launched in mid-March alongside the alleged iPhone 5se/iPhone 6c/iPhone 7c, or whatever the hell the supposed 4incher will be called!

As of February 3, a report from 9to5Mac, citing unnamed sources, has reiterated that we will see the iPad Air 3 appear at an event alongside the iPhone 5se in mid-March, however, it's gone as far as being more specific, and it seems that it is precisely in mid-March, in fact, on March 15.