'iPad Air 2' and 'iPad mini 3' with Touch ID & Burst Mode confirmed

#1

Apple’s iTunes Store has just made a little bit of a slip-up (and with perfect uncanny timing): screenshots for the iOS 8.1 iPad user guide have just appeared within iBooks and include Apple’s upcoming iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3. Of course, Apple will be formally debuting these devices tomorrow.

The screenshots confirm that both new tablets will include nearly identical designs to their predecessors and the addition of Touch ID sensors in the Home button. Another new feature confirmed by this leak is a new Burst Mode (first introduced with the iPhone 5s) for the iPad Air 2 (image below).

These images also indicate that the new tablets will be named “iPad Air 2″ and “iPad mini 3,” which means that Apple will bringing the numbering scheme for names back to the iPad lineup. Of course, the presence of this user guide means iOS 8.1 (with Apple Pay) is likely to drop tomorrow, too.

Besides the tweaked designs and Touch ID sensors, a gold color option, and a stronger A8X processor, improved camera optics, and new software can be expected at least on the new Air. Apple will also discuss the Mac line tomorrow, including the new iMac with Retina display and OS X Yosemite.

#2

Apple’s latest iPads are minor improvements on last year’s models

Newsbrief: Apple representatives took to the stage in Cupertino today to trot out the company’s lineup of new devices, including a slightly-upgraded version of the iPad that is better equipped to run CPU-intensive games.

The company revealed its sixth generation of iPad devices in the new iPad Air 2. It’s different from last year’s iPad Air insofar as it now sports a slightly more powerful CPU (the A8x chip, which powers the company’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus devices), a pair of slightly improved cameras, and a TouchID fingerprint scanner built into its home button. It also now comes in gold.

The company also debuted a new version of its 7.9-inch iPad Mini tablet that’s essentially identical to last year’s model from a developer perspective, though it also now sports a home button with TouchID support.

Developers who work on Mac hardware may appreciate the company’s decision to offer updated versions of both its Mac Mini and iMac computers, which are now more powerful and – at least in the case of the iMac workstation – capable of displaying at higher resolutions.

You can find the full details on Apple’s latest round of hardware revisions over on the company website.