New iPad Details Leaked By Apple

Details have emerged about some of the features that will be included with the new Apple iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3.

But in a surprising twist, the source of the leak ahead of the launch tonight appears to be none other than Apple itself.

Accidental?

The details were discovered by Apple watcher 9 to 5 Mac, which whilst studying iTunes discovered a number of screenshots for the iOS 8.1 iPad user guide within iBooks, which inadvertently revealed features about the forthcoming iPad devices.

Apple quickly removed the offending images, but not before 9 to 5 Mac was able to capture this image (pictured left), which seemingly confirms the official names for both devices, namely iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3.

The screenshot reveals that both tablets inherit the same design features of their predecessors, but also shows that a Touch ID sensor has been included in the Home button, as well as a burst mode for the camera.

The new devices reportedly will also include a faster stronger A8X processor and improved camera optics. A gold colour option is also being offered for customers.

Tonight’s launch event is also rumoured to see the introduction of a new iMac with a Retina display, coupled with Apple’s new operating system – OS X Yosemite.

The new iPad devices entered production in August, and reports back then suggested that Apple is also developing its largest ever tablet, a 12.9-inch version of the iPad.

Tablet Slowdown

Apple will hope the new tablets boost iPad sales which have been declining for a number of quarters now. As part of an effort to reverse this trend, Apple entered into a partnership with IBM in an attempt to make the iPad more appealing to businesses.

But analyst house Gartner warned back in July that growth in the tablet market is slowing as the market becomes increasingly mature. It pointed out that the slowdown was due to low demand for tablets with small screens, and an increase in demand for the phablet form factor.

It could also be down to the fact that people are holding onto their existing tablets for longer. Children have traditionally inherited the older iPad models within the family, and indeed last week an Ofcom study found that one in three UK children aged between 5 and 15 now have their own tablet computer, with six in ten (62 percent) of children now using a tablet at home.

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