The Apple iPad Air 3 could strike the perfect balance between the iPad Pro and the iPad Mini

This March Apple is expected to unveil the iPad Air 3, a device that has not seen an update since 2014, making some wonder if there ever would be a successor to the iPad Air 2.

According to sources, the iPad 3 will likely integrate a rear-facing LED flash, and a similar quad-speaker system as the iPad Pro, with no clear indication of whether the new iPad Air will be powered by a A9X processor.

The release of an iPad Air 3 could be the perfect crossover device, between the iPad Mini and the iPad Pro, mostly for those who do not already own an iPad Air 2, which is still a device with very respectable specs. Its 2016 incarnation, however, would ship with features very close to the iPad Pro, providing a smaller alternative to Apple’s biggest tablet yet.

The most interesting aspect of the refreshed device, is that it might support Apple Pencil, albeit no evidence has surfaced, with most rumors vaguely hinting at the possibility. If we were to go by common sense, Apple is likely to be very much invested in extending support of the Apple Pencil to more devices, including future iterations of the iPad Mini and Air, just as it did with other technologies, like the Retina display, and Touch-ID.

The the time of its release, some interesting features currently being tested in the preview build on iOS 9.3, are expected to debut, such as Night Shift, a mechanism that automatically changes the hue of the display to warmer colors, at night. This feature has been recently introduced as a way to keep iOS users from suffering from the effects of sleep deprivation caused by the blue light emitted from mobile screens.

The price of the new device is expected to start at $499, according to predictions, for an entry level version, to reach $899, for more advanced models that include cellular data access, and more storage.