AppleInsider Staff
The next generation of Apple's market-defining tablet is unlikely to gain the pressure-sensitive technology introduced with the iPhone 6s, according to a research note from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
The so-called "iPad Air 3" will eschew 3D Touch for primarily practical reasons, according to a note published early Tuesday by Kuo. He believes that the 3D Touch supply chain — currently thought to be below 30 percent utilization — would not be able to meet the demand.
Kuo called 3D Touch "one of the most severe production bottlenecks in iPhone 6s supply chain."
In any event, Apple still reportedly plans to refresh the 9.7-inch iPad line next spring. That introduction could come as early as March, Kuo wrote.
There is no word on whether Apple would choose to provide an update on the Watch at the same time.
On the iPhone front, Kuo predicts that the iPhone 7 will maintain the same technical architecture introduced in the iPhone 6s vis-a-vis 3D Touch. The company is expected to continue its traditional fall rollout schedule for the world's most popular smartphone, meaning a likely September debut.
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51 Comments
We rant on here about how analysts manipulate AAPL. Don’t rumors like this do the same thing? The new iPad won’t have 3D touch? The next iPhone will ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack? iPhone sales are slipping? Articles like this are almost always fodder for the usual suspects who will fan the flames with, “If this new iPad doesn’t have 3D Touch I’m not buying it. I will switch to Android!”
If we excoriate analysts for this then why not rumor sites like AI, MacRumors, et al?
There very well could be engineering issues around implementing 3D Touch on a much larger display. Or getting it to play nicely with iPad Pro. But an iPad Air 3 that's just a spec bump seems kind of pointless. I use my Air 2 every day and while it's not as smooth ad the iPad Pro, especially with slide over and split view, it's fine for 99% of the stuff I do with it. The Air 2 didn't get a price drop last year. I think getting rid of the Air 1 and dropping the price of the Air 2 by $100 would spur more sales than an Air 3 with a spec bump. Save the next Air for the fall.
There very well could be engineering issues around implementing 3D Touch on a much larger display. Or getting it to play nicely with iPad Pro. But an iPad Air 3 that's just a spec bump seems kind of pointless. I use my Air 2 every day and while it's not as smooth ad the iPad Pro, especially with slide over and split view, it's fine for 99% of the stuff I do with it. The Air 2 didn't get a price drop last year. I think getting rid of the Air 1 and dropping the price of the Air 2 by $100 would spur more sales than an Air 3 with a spec bump. Save the next Air for the fall.