Looking forward to the iPad Air 3 release date? You may be disappointed as a recent report claimed Apple may forego its regular-sized tablet in favor of the larger iPad Pro.
Citing industry sources, Taiwanese publication DigiTimes said that the Cupertino tech giant "is not planning to release a next-generation model to replace the existing iPad Air tablet."
And while the smaller iPad mini 4 is still slated for launch, it "will only have a few small upgrades from the third-generation one."
It's not the first time a report came out of Taiwan claiming that Apple isn't planning on an iPad Air 3 release date this year. Apple Insider recalled how, back in July, the Economic Daily News made the same claims.
"It argued that there would be no 'iPad Air 3' this year in order to focus on the 12.9-inch 'iPad Pro,' and to alleviate pressure on Foxconn, Apple's main manufacturing partner," the website said.
That report even claimed that this year's iPad mini 4 will be the last in the line-up.
But why would Apple not introduce a succesor to the iPad Air 2? Phablets, larger-sized smartphones, have increased in popularity recently which has adversely affected tablet sales.
"Last year's introduction of Apple's 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus phablet has surely cannibalized at least some consumer interest in the tablet line," Tech Times said.
What's more is that unlike smartphones, consumers take longer to upgrade their tablets, according to Apple Insider.
As for the Taiwanese report's accuracy, "DigiTimes has a mixed track record of reporting on Apple's upcoming product plans, so its latest report should be treated with a proverbial grain of salt." MacRumors said.
The website also pointed out that Japanese blog Mac Otakara, which it described as "more reliable," said the next-gen iPad Air "is still possible for 2015" last month.
As it stands, there may still be hope that Apple may announce an iPad Air 3 release date this year.
