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Here’s one big reason to be excited about the upcoming iPad Air 2

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 8:52PM EST
iPar Air 2 Specs: Retina HD

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Apple has coined a new name for the higher resolution iPhone 6 displays, introducing “Retina HD” to describe the iPhone 6’s 1334 x 750 (326ppi) screen and the iPhone 6 Plus’s 1920 x 1080 (401ppi) display. The same name might be used in the near future for iPad displays as well, developer Hamza Sood has suggested, after looking at assets in the recently released iOS 8.1 beta 2.

FROM EARLIER: ‘It’s been way too long’: Apple’s major iPad event officially set for October 16th

“Some Apple frameworks on iOS 8.1 contain @3x iPad assets,” he said on Twitter, posting a screenshot showing the @3x graphic files inside iOS 8.1 beta 2 that suggest an iPad resolution increase might be in order. “Bring on the Retina HD iPads!” he added.

The same developer found evidence of Apple Pay support for Touch ID iPads in the previous iOS 8.1 beta version.

Apple is expected to unveil at least a new iPad model (a 9.7-inch iPad Air 2) during its confirmed October 16th press conference, and while many details about the upcoming device have been featured in leaks, it’s not clear whether the device will have an even higher-resolution screen than the 2048 x 1536 (264ppi) panel on the current iPad Air model.

According to recent reports, the next iPad Air will be even slimmer than its predecessor, and will pack an A8 chip, 2GB of RAM, and a Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Furthermore, the iPad Air is also expected to be available in an iPhone-like gold option.

The image Sood posted follows below.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.