Case for Apple iPad Air 3 surfaces revealing cutouts for quad-speakers and Smart Connector

In March, Apple will reportedly hold a media event during which it is expected to introduce the 4-inch Apple iPhone 5se, and a refreshed Apple Watch. The timepiece could come with Face Time capabilities. Another device that could see the light of day during the media event would be the tech titan's next flagship tablet, the Apple iPad Air 3.

Despite the fact that Apple has yet to make the slate official, a case for the tablet has been spotted on the website of Chinese online retailer Alibaba. Examining it reveals that similar to the 12.9-inch Apple iPad Pro, the iPad Air 3 will offer four speakers, one near each corner of the slab. The case also features a cutout for the magnetic-powered "Smart Connector." Also borrowed from the iPad Pro, the Smart Connector will allow the iPad Air 3 user to connect his slate to the Smart Keyboard accessory. Another cutout is made for the LED flash that will appear next to the rear camera on the tablet. And there is a cutout for a 3.5mm earphone jack in the upper left corner. As you probably know by now, the Apple iPhone 7 is expected to come to market without the earphone jack.

The iPad Air 3 will most likely carry a 9.7-inch screen, feature 4GB of RAM, and come with the Apple A9X SoC under the hood. That is the same chip that powers the iPad Pro. We also could see the iPad Air 3 support the Apple Pencil.

With less than two full months of Apple iPad Pro sales included in the company's fiscal first quarter, the company reported that tablet sales had declined 25% year-over-year. Can a fully loaded Apple iPad Air 3 jump start Apple's tablet business? We won't know the answer to that question for months. It all starts when Apple first makes the tablet official in March.


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source: Macotakara.jp (translated) viaTablet-News.com