Apple to Offer Four-Speaker Design and LED Flash in iPad Air 3

New details about the upcoming iPad Air 3 have been revealed, suggesting that the device could offer features implemented into the iPad Pro, such as the four-speaker design, as well as an LED flash located right next to the rear-facing camera.

The details come from French website Nowhereelse.fr, who says that it is unable to guarantee the results, but that its source has been reliable two out of the three previous occasions. If the drawings do indeed prove to be true, the iPad Air will offer two speakers on both the top and bottom of the device, offering a stereo sound in both the vertical and horizontal positions.

This will be helpful for those who might like to watch movies or listen to music without using headphones, and should help offer a better listening experience than previous versions of the iPad Air.

The other main new feature showed off in the image is the inclusion of an LED flash right next to the camera. While the iPhone has had an LED flash for a while now, the iPad hasn’t, despite being used by plenty of people to take photos.

Sure, it could be argued that the iPad isn’t really designed to be a photo-taking machine in the same way that the iPhone is, there’s really no reason to not include a flash for everyday photo taking around the house. In fact, no previous iPad models have included flashes, and if it is included, it should be taken as a sign that Apple is wholeheartedly getting behind the idea of iPad photography.

Despite the fact that Apple hasn’t really been behind using the iPad for serious photography in the past, however, many have been using the device as a way to capture their day-to-day life. Because of this, the introduction of the LED flash will be welcome for many people.

Interestingly enough, the iPad Air 3 drawing does indeed include an area for the headphone jack. While it is certainly possible (and likely) that the iPhone 7 will be the first device to not include a headphone jack, the fact that Apple next flagship tablet does include one suggests that Apple is being careful about completely disrupting the music industry, and industry that includes plenty of audiophiles who might prefer the use of the headphone jack over things like Bluetooth headphones or Lightning headphones.

The iPad Air 3 is also expected to include a number of other improvements. For example, the device is largely expected to include a faster A9X processor, as well as a smart camera. Unfortunately, it is largely expected that the device will not, indeed, include 3D Touch a feature that was included in the iPhone 6s, as it has been difficult for Apple to reproduce on a larger scale.

This is unfortunate considering the fact that many expect 3D Touch to revolutionize how we interact with out mobile devices. While in the iPhone 6s, the use of 3D Touch has been quite basic, it is suggested that Apple will further develop the technology to be an integral part of how the iPhone functions, even spurring many companies to create 3D Touch copies. In fact, it is expected that we’ll see a number of 3D Touch knock-offs at Mobile World Congress, which will see a number of companies releasing their new device for the year.

The iPad Air 3 should also make use of Oxide TFT display technology, which will help the iPad Air offer more uniform display colors and brightness, despite the fact that Apple has been looking into OLED technology as a replacement to its current use of LED.

The iPad regularly takes cues from the iPhone when it comes to things like design and new technologies, and the iPad Air 3 will be no different, taking cues from the iPhone 6s. It is likely that the iPad Air 4 will be more inclusive of technologies rumored to be in the iPhone 6, such as the removal of the headphone jack and a thinner design.

It will be very interesting to see what the Apple lineup of products looks like within the coming months, especially considering the fact that it is expected that Apple will be changing its product designs over the next year.

Learn More: Apple is Developing 3D Touch-Like Technology for iPad

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]