iPad Air

Tech specs: iPad Air 2 vs iPad Air

Apple recently unveiled iPad Air 2, and while the new model is more evolutionary than revolutionary, there are still a few major differences between both the older and newer version of the device. Obviously, the form factor and Touch ID might be the most obvious differences between the two, but there are also a few differentiating factors, mostly internally. In this post, we'll show a comparison of the tech specs of iPad Air 2 and iPad Air.

iOS 8 User Guide inadvertently confirms ‘iPad Air 2’ and ‘iPad mini 3’ with Touch ID and Burst mode

An inadvertent (or is it?) slip-up on Apple’s iBooks Store on Wednesday all but confirmed that tomorrow's media event will in fact serve as a launchpad for a pair of iPad refreshes: a second-generation iPad Air and third-generation iPad mini. Furthermore, the images suggest Touch ID fingerprint scanning for both new tablets, in addition to Burst camera mode for the regular-size iPad.

These revelations were made public via iTunes screenshots for the iOS 8 iPad User Guide that can be downloaded to iBooks, as first discovered by the prolific Apple blogger Mark Gurman of 9to5Mac.

Clearer circuit board photo reiterates iPad Air 2 may have faster A8X chip with 2GB of RAM

Following a blurry shot posted by Taiwanese blog Apple.club.tw this weekend that purportedly depicts a claimed iPad Air 2 logic board with a chip labeled 'A8X', the same source Monday republished a much clearer image. It should be music to the ears of everyone hoping Apple will bump the forthcoming iPad Air 2 to two gigabytes of RAM. The RAM module appears to be built by Elpida, one of Apple's memory suppliers, as determined by the markings on the chip.

Doubling the amount of RAM would admittedly allow the tablet to keep more applications active and result in smoother multitasking, faster graphics and performance improvements across the board.

New photos show A8X chip and other claimed iPad Air 2 parts

Photos of several components allegedly belonging to the upcoming iPad Air 2 popped up online today. Republished by Apple.club.tw, the images show a Home button flex cable, a front panel, a volume button flex cable, and a logic board.

And on that logic board, it appears that there is an A8X chip. You can't see it at first, but a MacRumors forum user zoomed in on the photo and tweaked the colors, and as you can see in the image below, it looks like there are 3 characters.

Leaked images show off thinner iPad Air 2 design with Touch ID and no mute switch

Vietnamese blog Tinhte.vn on Wednesday leaked [Google Translate] a fresh batch of images showing off what appears to be a noticeably thinner chassis for Apple's upcoming second-generation iPad Air tablet with Touch ID fingerprint scanning.

Curiously enough, the shots show the recessed volume buttons like on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, but no mute switch on the side, in turn prompting watchers to speculate that Apple may have ditched the button due to the tablet's thin profile.

Speaking of thinness, the unit pictured on the photos is said to measure just 7 millimeters. By comparison, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are 6.9mm and 7.1mm thin, respectively, and the iPhone 5s measures 7.6mm in depth.

Bloomberg: iPad Air 2 to be offered in Gold, 12.9″ ‘iPad Pro’ due next year

Apple's second-generation iPad Air will be offered in Gold, in addition to Space Gray and Silver colorways, according to a Bloomberg report Wednesday corroborating earlier rumors. Adding a gold color option is one way to “goose sales,” according to people familiar with the plans.

The iPad Air 2 should be unveiled at a media event expected sometime in October. Bloomberg's sources with knowledge of the situation have also added that a rumored 'iPad Pro' with a 12.9-inch display “won’t be introduced until next year”.

Samsung rumored to supply screens for iPad Air 2 and 12.9″ iPad Pro

Samsung Display, Samsung's display unit and part of the company's component-making arm, will supply Apple with high-resolution panels for an upcoming second-generation iPad Air and a rumored “iPad Pro”which is understood to feature a 12.9-inch screen, Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes reported Tuesday morning citing Korean-news outlet inews24.

Although the Cupertino firm’s been distancing itself from the South Korean conglomerate amid ad wars and legal spats, the Galaxy maker is still an important supplier for Apple. And with its leading position in mobile screen production, Samsung is best poised to ensure that Apple has ample supply of high-resolution panels for the iPad Air 2 and the rumored iPad Pro.

KGI on iPad Air 2: launching next Tuesday with ‘significant spec upgrades’

Rounding up a trio of predictions that Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities released to clients this morning, AppleInsider quotes the influential analyst as making a surprising claim that the upcoming second-generation iPad Air will be unveiled at Apple's media event next Tuesday.

A gold color option and Touch ID-powered fingerprint scanning should be expected for the so-called iPad Air 2, too, the well-connected analyst told investors in his report. This is in contrast to the rumor-mill which has long called for a separate media event in October to refresh the iPad lineup, based on Apple's annual refresh cycle over the past three years.

Suppliers ramping up component production for ‘thinner, faster’ iPad Air 2 with Touch ID

According to DigiTimes, a hit-and-miss Taiwanese trade publication, Apple's suppliers are ramping up production of components for a second-generation iPad Air, which sources describe as being thinner, faster and incorporating the widely expected Touch ID fingerprint scanning feature.

The report Tuesday doesn't shed more light on the matter beyond stating the obvious, that the device will run the upcoming A8 processor and be thinner than the current-generation iPad Air, which itself is 7.5mm (about 0.29 inch) thick.

The SmartStyle case gives a notebook feel to your iPad Air

X-Doria is a relatively new comer to the Apple accessory arena. While they have been around for a couple years, they are still making a name for themselves. One of their key product features is a puffing ink that raises as it is heated in the production process. Almost any design you see in their product lineup, utilizes the 3D puffing ink, making it standout among other simply screen-printed competitors. The ink provides tactile feedback, offering an easier to handle case and a good looking stark color pattern.

The SmartStyle Patterns for iPad Air gets its name from the stylized printed patter and the Smart Cover technology. Using exactly placed magnets, SmartStyle behaves similarly to an Apple Smart Cover, waking or sleeping iPad as the cover is either opened or closed.

The Tylt Ruggd case is built for style and damage protection

If you are prone to dropping, abusing, and misusing your iPad Air, hopefully you are shopping around for a solid case. You are going to need something with a shockproof design, corner protection, rubberized absorbing base layer, and a little bit of flexibility. All of those features are built neatly into the TYLT RUGGD iPad Air case.

Making no bones about design, the RUGGD forgoes any eye candy design and goes straight for protection. With bulky corner cushioning and what appear to be four leg-like bumpers on the back, RUGGD should have you safe and sound, unless you drop it face down.

New Samsung ad positions Galaxy Tab S as thinner, lighter and brighter than iPad Air

Samsung on Friday posted a new anti-iPad commercial on its YouTube channel. First spotted by iGeneration, the ad at first blush appears to have borrowed a few cues from the South Korean firm's original anti-iPhone ad which lampooned people who'd wait in the line for a new iPhone.

Specifically, the commercial asks supposedly random hipsters on the streets of New York City to take the Galaxy Tab S for a test drive and compare it to the iPad Air.

As you could imagine, the video emphasizes the Samsung tablet's thinness and lightness while praising its bright Super AMOLED display versus the iPad Air's LCD screen.