According to a report published by 9to5Mac, Apple is planning to begin selling the upcoming iPad Air 3 and the 4-inch iPhone 5se starting on March 18. The two devices will be offered in stores and online starting on Friday following their introduction at an event to be held on Tuesday, March 15.
This time around, Apple is said to be not planning to offer pre-orders for the devices. That’s a particularly different strategy than what Apple has followed in the past. Typically, like with iPhones, the announcement happens a couple of weeks prior to the release date, and pre-orders open before that launch date rolls around. The same has been the case for iPads in the past as well, but this is the first time the company has launched a standalone non-flagship device.
Launching the new iPhone and iPad models so soon after introduction and not offering pre-orders would be a new strategy for Apple. Apple typically releases new iPhone models one or two weeks following the introduction events and an online pre-order period.
Previous reports have suggested that the iPhone 5se will look a lot like the iPhone 5s, and feature the same A9 processor and camera system found in the iPhone 6. It’s also expected to have an NFC chip, with support for Apple Pay, and come in familiar gold, rose gold, silver and grey colorways.
The iPad Air 3 is rumored to take on design elements from the iPad Pro, offering a four-speaker layout and a Smart Connector that would work with iPad Air accessories. Size wise, it is expected to be nearly identical to the iPad Air 2, and i may also include a rear-facing flash.
Source: 9to5Mac
iPhone 5se and iPad Air 3 to Be Available on March 18