iPad Air 3 release date rumors: Device to arrive late 2016 or early 2017?

Fans of the iPad Air line are starting to feel anxious when the new iPad Air 3 will release and if the manufacturer has any plan of releasing it at all.

Recently, Apple unveiled the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and is seemingly changing their focus on the handheld Pro line. With that, there are speculations that the Air lineup will be taking a backseat until further notice.

According to MacWorld, it was initially believed that the new iPad Air 3 would be out by October 2015. They made this assumption based on previous announcements of older iPad Air models. The first was announced back in October 2013, while the second was unveiled around the same time a year later.

However, Apple concentrated on other iPad iterations, with their Pro line taking center stage. But according to MacWorld, the new expectation is that the iPad Air 3 could be out by September this year at the earliest.

However, The Bit Bag stated that the release may be pulled back as far as the first quarter of 2017.

With the absence of the iPad Air 3 at the recent Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), there are speculations that the device's release will be put on hold until Apple's next big event, which will be around March 2017.

On the other hand, other reports say that the iPad Air 3 will be available soon based on the price drop of iPad Air 2 by some sellers online.

MacWorld noted that eBay sellers like Quick Shop Electronics are selling the iPad Air 2 for only $449.99 instead of $699.99 for the 128 GB version.

While the price drop may not have a direct relationship with the release of the new iPad Air, it fuels rumors for fans and tech observers that the new device might finally come out.

Stay tuned for more updates on the iPad Air 3 and other Apple offerings.