Sep 30, 2016 10:29 PM EDT By Shunie Pearl C. Dela Cruz, UniversityHerald Reporter

Apple has been rumored to have killed off the iPad Air brand but it turns out as a surprise for everyone when a valid report revealed about the upcoming iPad Air and Pro brands. Loyal Apple fans are drooling over the latest tweaks on the two configurations. The following expected features proved that iPad Air 3 release date is worth the wait.

New Configuration - iPad Pro

Apple is not finish with the iPad Air brand yet. Instead, the tech giant is rumored to have been added the new configuration iPad Pro according to Mac World. Although it is not yet confirmed, according to the same report netizens speculate on 9.7-inch iPad Pro and iPad Air with a screen resolution of 2048 x 1536 (264 ppi pixel density).

Smart Connector for Smart Keyboard

Rumors suggesting that a Smart Keyboard Cover will be attach to a Smart Connector located on the left hand edge of the upcoming iPad Air 3. This functionality allows the connected keyboard cover to draw power from the monster battery of iPad Air 3 through the use of Smart Connector.

Apple Pencil Compatibility

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is the only Apple tablet that is compatible with Apple pencil when it was launched. It has become the unique selling point of the device at that time. Apple has been flooded with lots of user request for Apple pencil compatibilities with their tablets and the Cupertino-based is rumored to have started the works in the 9.7-inch iPad Pro.

Thinner than iPad Air 2

The original iPad Air is 7.5mm thick followed by the iPad Air 2 which is 6.1mm thick. For this matter, Apple is expected to surprise the loyal fans with an iPad Air 3 thinner than 6.1mm according to PC Advisor. Thus, a more powerful but smaller battery is believed to power the new iPad Air model.

New Processor

iPad Air 3 is rumored to be powered by Apple's proprietary chipset the A10. Similar chips have powered the newly launched iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus which both received good reviews due to excellent device performance.

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