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Home / News / iPad Air 3 and new Apple Watch band options coming in March

iPad Air 3 and new Apple Watch band options coming in March

Report claims the iPhone 5se (or 6c) won't be the only Apple announcement

We’ve expected this for a while now, but more and more little details keep being added to the big picture: after skipping an autumn release, Apple’s iPad Air 3 is expected to debut in March and go on sale soon thereafter.

Like its predecessors, the iPad Air 3 will be a standard-sized model with a 9.7in display, although it’s not yet clear which enhancements we should expect beyond additional processing power. 9to5Mac says that a model is being tested that will support the Apple Pencil, but that may not make the final cut – particularly with an earlier report claiming that 3D Touch won’t be featured.

Earlier this week, a reported design document suggested that the iPad Air 3 will implement an LED flash on the back for more photo flexibility, along with added speaker grills as seen on the iPad Pro. Given the expected Air 3 naming, however, we don’t expect any truly massive changes this time around.

As for the Apple Watch, 9to5Mac says that Apple will unveil an array of fresh bands and Watch configuration options, including new Sport Band colours, a Space Black version of the Milanese Loop (as previously leaked), Apple Watch Hermès models with different band colours, and some other band option with a new material. Perhaps Apple will offer a more affordable fabric-based option this time around.

We’ve heard a fair bit about the iPhone 5se (or 6c) in recent days, with a report claiming that it may feature the same A9 and M9 co-processors as the iPhone 6s, but come with a 4in display without 3D Touch functionality. Then again, a previous report said it’d have A8/M8 chips, which sounds more reasonable for a purportedly lower-priced model, so there’s still a lot to be cleared up before the expected release.

9to5Mac suggests Apple will hold an event during the week of 14 March, although the timing hasn’t been confirmed just yet. We’ll let you know as more reports and rumours seep out in the coming weeks.

[Source: 9to5Mac]

Profile image of Andrew Hayward Andrew Hayward Freelance Writer

About

Andrew writes features, news stories, reviews, and other pieces, often when the UK home team is off-duty or asleep. I'm based in Chicago with my lovely wife, amazing son, and silly cats, and my writing about games, gadgets, esports, apps, and plenty more has appeared in more than 75 publications since 2006.

Areas of expertise

Video games, gadgets, apps, smart home