New Photos Claim to Show Purported Rear Shell of iPad Air 2
Taiwan-based accessory maker Yi Lin Enterprises has posted new photos on Weibo showing the purported rear shell of Apple's iPad Air 2 (Google Translate, via Mac Otakara). The images show off a gold housing with a number of design changes, including a new speaker grille with larger holes and a relocated rear microphone alongside the iSight camera.
Last month, an alleged "perfect replica" of the iPad Air 2 surfaced, showing off a Touch ID home button for the device and recessed volume buttons along with the same refined speaker grille. The prototype followed the leak of a supposed front panel from the iPad Air 2 this past April, which showed an integrated display that may hint at a thinner form factor for the tablet.
Apple's iPad Air 2 is expected to launch alongside the iPad mini 3 later this year, and is expected to include a faster A8 processor in addition to the aforementioned Touch ID fingerprint sensor and refined physical features. Rumors have also suggested that Apple is working on a larger, 12.9-inch iPad Pro, however recent reports have indicated that plans for the tablet may be on hold for the foreseeable future.
Popular Stories
Apple has stopped signing several older versions of iOS for a group of legacy iPhone and iPad models, cutting off the paths to reinstall or downgrade the affected software.
Apple will no longer validate over-the-air (OTA) or direct IPSW installs of the builds in question. Once a version is unsigned, there is no longer a way to restore or install it through Finder or iTunes.
The change is...
Apple has introduced 36-month financing for cellular iPad purchases through AT&T and Verizon, adding to the 12-month option previously available via Apple Card.
The new financing, first reported by 9to5Mac, replaces Apple Card Monthly Installments as the sole route to spreading out a cellular iPad purchase. That plan paid off the balance interest-free over 12 months; the new carrier options...
In March, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said a new entry-level iPad was "still coming this year," but apparently this is no longer the case. Today, he reported that the device is slated for release in the first quarter of 2027 at the earliest.
The main new feature will be a faster processor rather than major design changes, he said, so it sounds like nothing more than a spec bump. While the next...
