When Apple held its annual September conference, it introduced both the iPad Pro and iPad Mini 4. To many an Apple fan, the absence of the iPad Air 3 did not go unnoticed. this lead to speculations that those looking at upgrading their bigger but lighter (versus the Pro, at least) iPad will not have a new option this year.

It was recently reported that Apple Inc. might be planning to break the iPad Air's release cycle and hold off on iPad Air 3 until 2016. The possible reason behind this is that the Cupertino-based company does not want its latest Air to have to compete with its smaller sibling, the iPad Mini 4, and the relatively bigger and more powerful one, iPad Pro.

Though this seems like a good a reason as any, the news still comes as a sad one for some Apple fans. The iPad Air 3, after all, is the perfect balance between the Mini's portability and the Pro's powerhouse features. Some iPad users looking to upgrade their current iPad Air may not want to jump to the iPad Pro, given it's the device's first generation . Or some of them just might already have a laptop and may not see the need to get a laptop-tablet hybrid. Those used to the screen of the Air may also find the Mini a bit lacking.

Not getting the latest Air this year also comes as a particularly bad news for those who have been eagerly following news about the device all-year round. Rumours and speculations say that the Air will be worth the upgrade, whether one is coming from the first- or the second-generation.

Sporting the A8X processor, the iPad Air 3 is supposedly faster than the previous versions of the device. It will also, amazingly, be lighter and even thinner than its older siblings. What's truly exciting is that it will also reportedly have a better rear camera resolution and even better battery life. There were also rumours of its bigger screen but with the Pro coming out soon, this might not hold water anymore.

All these specs come as rumours at the moment, with no confirmation yet from Apple. Stay tuned for more updates.