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Fishels

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 25, 2015
260
67
I’ve looked for a thread where I could pose this question but simply couldn’t find it(or I’ve overlooked it). If I want to stick behind with an Air 3 what does the support road map look like going forward? Should we expect this thing to be making it to iOS 15 and 16? Is the Air 3 a capable machine for the new iPad OS? I don’t understand the chips and what they mean like a lot of you seem to. The A12 chip.

Also in terms of buying a new one how is the battery life on iOS 14 right now? I know the device came out in 2019 but I wonder how a new one would perform on the new operating system. I’m still rocking a Air 2 so anything will probably be a upgrade. But I do want a good battery life.

Stay safe out there everyone
 
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asharmus

macrumors newbie
Sep 19, 2020
22
67
I have an Air 3 right now and the battery life is superb on iOS 14 for me. It's a brilliant product. However, like all 10.5 iPads, it has this issue with a bright spot forming above the home button. I had to get mine replaced by Applecare+ about 6 months after I got it because it started to get really noticeable
 

rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,921
13,273
The latest 10.2” iPad released just last week has the same chip as the Air 3. In terms of firmware, I expect it’ll receive updates beyond iOS 16.

As mentioned, there’s a risk of developing a bright spot. Mind, I’ve got both Pro 10.5 and Air 3 and neither have developed a bright spot. *knock on wood*

Other than that, it’s a nice device with good battery life and should perform well for a number of years.
 

Fishels

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 25, 2015
260
67
The latest 10.2” iPad released just last week has the same chip as the Air 3. In terms of firmware, I expect it’ll receive updates beyond iOS 16.

As mentioned, there’s a risk of developing a bright spot. Mind, I’ve got both Pro 10.5 and Air 3 and neither have developed a bright spot. *knock on wood*

Other than that, it’s a nice device with good battery life and should perform well for a number of years.
Thanks guys.

Would you say the battery life is just as good as it was on the OS it released on? Not counting deterioration from usage

If it has the battery my iAd Air 2 released with id be a happy boi. I assume the bright spot would be totally covered under AppleCare plus
 

Zazoh

macrumors 68000
Jan 4, 2009
1,518
1,122
San Antonio, Texas
Thanks guys.

Would you say the battery life is just as good as it was on the OS it released on? Not counting deterioration from usage

If it has the battery my iAd Air 2 released with id be a happy boi. I assume the bright spot would be totally covered under AppleCare plus

My warranty expired early Sep, Apple replaced my iPad with white spot yesterday. In and out 5 min. So, that was without AC+ At this point they know the cause and that it is a defect. I assume.
 

rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,921
13,273
Would you say the battery life is just as good as it was on the OS it released on? Not counting deterioration from usage

If it has the battery my iAd Air 2 released with id be a happy boi. I assume the bright spot would be totally covered under AppleCare plus
I haven't installed iPadOS 14 yet on the Air 3 and Pro 10.5 as I want to make sure there are no bugs that would affect/annoy me. That said, I haven't noticed any battery life reduction on the iPads I updated (2019 iPad 10.2, 2017 Pro 12.9).

With my typical usage and settings (primarily browsing text heavy sites or reading), I got better battery life on the Air 3 than I did Air 2.
 
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