Apple will unveil at least one new iPad model this year, according to various reports, and Taiwanese publication TechNews has confirmed an earlier report that said only the iPad Air 2 would be coming this October. However, the publication also says that a 12.9-inch iPad Pro is in the works for next year, at which point a new iPad mini might also be released. More importantly, the report says that Apple’s upcoming tablets will get some significant upgrades to improve performance.
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According to the publication, the iPad Air 2 will be thinner than its predecessor, and will feature a larger speaker grille as well as a different position for the rear camera. When it comes to specs, the tablet is expected to pack the same A8 processor that’s inside the new iPhone 6 models, but it will offer 2GB of RAM, a major increase from last year’s model. When it comes to storage, Apple is still expected to keep in place current versions (16/32/64/128GB). Finally, the device is said to have a Touch ID fingerprint sensor in the Home button, which is something other reports have also mentioned in the past.
TechNews also says that Apple has already ordered beefed up A8X processors from TSMC for the bigger 12.9-inch iPad Pro that should be launched in the second quarter of next year, returning to an iPad processor naming structure that hasn’t been used since the A6X in the fourth-gen iPad model. The stronger A8X processor would be needed to better deal with a much bigger display that’ll likely be of Retina quality.
Meanwhile, Apple has yet to announce its iPad Air 2 model, although the company is said to host a special iPad and Mac event at some point next month.
