iPad Air 3 could be a no-show at Apple event

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iPad Mini 4 upgrades won't suck.
iPad Mini 4 upgrades won't suck.
Photo: Apple

Apple is expected to unveil its new lineup of iPads at a keynote event in early September, but according to a recent rumor mill, the iPad Air 3 might not make an appearance on stage.

Chinese-based tablet supply chain makers have supposedly received decreasing orders because Apple plans to be more conservative with its tablet product line, claims DigiTimes sources who say a replacement for the iPad Air 2 isn’t in the works yet.

The supply chain is already preparing components for the iPad Mini 4. DigiTimes says that the fourth-gen model will only have a few small upgrades over the iPad Mini 3, which could be a major disappointment for consumers, after the previous upgrade was pretty lackluster as well.

Should Apple forgo an upgrade to the 9.7-inch iPad model, it would be the first time the company has skipped it since launching the iPad five years ago. Previous leaks have hinted that the iPad mini 4 will see a decent upgrade this year with a thinner body, A8 processor, 8MP camera, and 2GB of RAM.

Investment advisor Liaoxian Li reported last month that Apple was dropping the iPad Air 3 to focus on the iPad Pro. Buzzfeed reported last week that the iPad Pro was still a ‘wildcard‘ to appear at the event. It could be possible that we’ll only see one new iPad at the keynote, rumored to take place on September 9th.

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