Now that we've got the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus [1] all squared away, it's time to focus our attention on the second-most important iDevice: the iPad. Production of the new iPad Air has begun, and iOS users should expect two models: a full-size 9.7-inch tablet and a smaller, newer iPad Mini in the Fall. Tech blogger Michael Andrew and his team obtained several photos and illustrations from within Apple and published a detailed report [2] on the new tablets, which are expected to be announced tomorrow.
What We Know So Far
- Apple Pay — Sources say Apple Pay may be announced shortly after the iPad even. The new iPad Airs are also rumored to work with the wireless tap-to-pay technology.
- Camera upgrade — The new iPad's rear camera will be upped to 8MP, from 5MP.
- Better processor — The Apple A8 processor will come with 2GB of RAM, up from 1GB.
- No more mute/vibration switch — To keep the hardware as slim as possible, Apple may have removed the switch completely and made the volume buttons more recessed.
- It will be gold — iPads will now come gilded [3]. A gold option will be added to the existing silver and space-gray lineup.
- The biggest iPad ever is coming — The mammoth tablet is expected to have a 12.9-inch screen [4] but won't arrive until 2015. It might be called the iPad Pro.
- An antireflection screen! — Now this is something to get excited about. Today, Bloomberg reported that the new iPad's screen won't reflect in the sun [5] like the current iPad's shiny display does. Now the iPad will be more lounge and beach friendly with its new, easier-to-read screen.
- Thinner, with Touch ID — Last month, the Japanese website ASCII Plus posted these fairly convincing leaks [6] of the next-generation iPad Air [7]. The photos reveal that the "iPad Air 2" is allegedly even thinner and could have a fingerprint-sensing home button, just like the iPhone 5S.
- Same screen size and resolution — The second-generation iPad Air will have the same resolution [8] (2,048x1,536), reported Phone Arena. The screen will also be 9.7 inches diagonal, like the current model.
Stay tuned for more Apple news!
Source: ASCII Plus Japan [9]