Alleged 'iPad Air 3' schematic reaffirms Smart Connector, rear camera flash

Yet another schematic claiming to show off the design of Apple's anticipated "iPad Air 3" again includes a Smart Connector, rear camera LED flash, and four-speaker array.

The latest images were provided to Engadget by what it called a "reliable source." They show a 9.7-inch iPad with largely the same design as the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, with the lone exception being the addition of a rear camera flash.

Included dimensions indicate that the so-called "iPad Air 3" will be 0.05 millimeters thicker and 0.1 millimeters wider than the current iPad Air 2.

The details from the latest leak are identical to design illustrations supposedly for a next-generation iPad Air that leaked online last month. And on Sunday, a third-party case surfaced online again showing space for a Smart Connector, four speakers, and rear camera flash.

Aside from those changes, the design looks largely unchanged from the iPad Air 2, which itself is very similar to the iPad Pro. That includes a headphone jack and lock button up top, volume buttons on the right side, and a camera on the back.

Still unknown is whether the next-generation iPad Air will support the Apple Pencil. The $100 stylus accessory is currently only compatible with the iPad Pro, which sports a special display designed in tandem with the Apple Pencil.

Apple is widely expected to introduce an "iPad Air 3" in the first half of 2016, likely at a forthcoming March event where the company is also rumored to showcase a new 4-inch iPhone and more Apple Watch styles and bands. The company is also expected to introduce new MacBooks in the first half of the year, sporting Intel's latest-generation "Skylake" processors.