Leaked iPad Air 3 Schematic Reaffirms Our Favorite Rumors

Just a day after we reported on the latest and greatest news circulating about the ‘iPad Air 3’ rumor mill, a new and vivid schematic of the supposed device has surfaced — all but confirming that several of the most sought after features of it’s big brother, iPad Pro (such as 4 speakers, an LED camera flash, and Apple’s Smart Connector), will be making their way onto the smaller, 3rd generation 9.7-inch iPad.

Provided to us courtesy of Engadget, who cited reliable sources, the schematic essentially shows us what we’ve been seeing and hearing about for a while now: that the ‘iPad Air 3’ will converge along the lines of Apple’s larger, 12.9-inch iPad Pro. The only difference here, as you can see, is the inclusion of a dedicated camera flash module under the rear camera lens.

Dimensions outlined by the image of the purported device indicate that it will be approximately 0.05 millimeters thicker, and 0.01 millimeters wider than the iPad Air 2

Details of the latest leak are consistent with design illustrations of a next-generation iPad Air we’ve seen online as early as last month. And additionally, on Sunday, images of a third-party case surfaced from the popular Japanese blog, Macotokara, which showed space for a Smart Connector, four speakers, and rear camera flash.

Aside from those welcomed changes, the design itself remains relatively unchanged from that of the iPad Air 2. That design, as you might know, features a headphone jack and lock button up top, volume buttons on the right side, and an 8 MP camera around back.

Still unknown, at this point, is whether or not the next-generation iPad Air will boast Apple Pencil compatibility. The company’s lavishly priced, although intrinsically accurate stylus, is currently only compatible with the iPad Pro, which features a unique display designed in dichotomy with Apple’s Pencil. We’ll have to hope for the best on that front, but Apple has shown us that anything’s possible several times before, right?

In the interim, Apple is widely expected to pull the wraps off an “iPad Air 3” tablet within the first half of 2016, possibly even at a forthcoming March event where it’s also rumored to showcase a new 4-inch iPhone and more of the company’s Watch bands and accessories. The company is also expected to introduce new MacBooks in the first half of the year, too, although we currently have no information pertaining to that rumor — other than that the historical accuracy of the refresh, and that the 2016 MacBook line will feature Intel’s latest and greatest ‘Skylake’ processors.

Learn More: Here’s What We Expect from Apple’s Upcoming MacBook Lineup Refresh

Are you planning on picking up Apple’s 3rd-generation iPad Air when it comes out?

[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.]