They’re just rumors at this point, but they point to some fairly cool stuff about the iPad Air 3.
As of now, it’s been said that Taiwanese touch panel makers General Interface Solution and TPK will share production of a third-generation “4K” iPad Air set to debut in March.
The same sources claim that in addition to a 4K resolution touch panel, Apple’s new 9.7-inch tablet will feature up to 4GB RAM and improved battery life, and is scheduled to enter mass production in the second quarter of 2016.
The report states that the two suppliers can expect a slight one-year increase for touch panels orders from Apple in the first half of 2016. This comes despite previous rumors suggesting the iPad Air 3 will not adopt the pressure-sensitive display technology due to the production difficulties involved with scaling it up for a larger display.
Other aspects of the rumor include a “4K” display, albeit this may simply refer to the new iPad Air adopting features included in the iPad Pro, which inherited the oxide thin film transistor from the 5K Retina iMac, along with a UV-based photo alignment technique that ensures uniform color and brightness in the display. It also included a variable refresh rate that preserves battery life by cutting the refresh rate in half whenever there’s static content on the screen.
Apple is rumored to announce the iPad Air 3 at a March press event and is said to release the next-gen tablet in the first half of 2016.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.