Bloomberg: Apple's next-gen iPad Air to come in gold color option
In line with previous reports, Bloomberg on Tuesday says Apple's next-generation iPad Air will be offered in gold, bringing the company's flagship tablet up to speed with iPhone color options.
The publication cites sources familiar with Apple's iPad launch plans as saying the company is looking to bolster tablet sales by adding a gold rear case choice to existing space gray and silver colors when the next-generation 9.7-inch iPad Air debuts this fall.
Apple first released a gold colored device with last year's iPhone 5s and continues to offer the option with its current iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus product lines. The gold iPad Air is expected to feature a white faceplate identical to Apple's gold and silver iPhone versions, leaving only space gray models with black bezels.
Today's report mirrors a forecast from noted KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who earlier in September said the "iPad Air 2" would come in the same color palette as Apple's new iPhone. Kuo also said the iPad mini with Retina display could get Touch ID fingerprint recognition, a long-awaited feature some hoped would come with last year's iPad refresh.
The publication did not mention future plans for the iPad mini with Retina display, which is also due for a revamp, but suggested that a next-gen iPad Air could be announced in October. Reliable sources have informed AppleInsider that Apple has set a mid-October deadline for internal projects and marketing associated with major product lines, suggesting a media event could follow in the second half of the month.
The publication cites sources familiar with Apple's iPad launch plans as saying the company is looking to bolster tablet sales by adding a gold rear case choice to existing space gray and silver colors when the next-generation 9.7-inch iPad Air debuts this fall.
Apple first released a gold colored device with last year's iPhone 5s and continues to offer the option with its current iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus product lines. The gold iPad Air is expected to feature a white faceplate identical to Apple's gold and silver iPhone versions, leaving only space gray models with black bezels.
Today's report mirrors a forecast from noted KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who earlier in September said the "iPad Air 2" would come in the same color palette as Apple's new iPhone. Kuo also said the iPad mini with Retina display could get Touch ID fingerprint recognition, a long-awaited feature some hoped would come with last year's iPad refresh.
The publication did not mention future plans for the iPad mini with Retina display, which is also due for a revamp, but suggested that a next-gen iPad Air could be announced in October. Reliable sources have informed AppleInsider that Apple has set a mid-October deadline for internal projects and marketing associated with major product lines, suggesting a media event could follow in the second half of the month.
Comments
Yeah, same here. iPad sales are soft are because iPads are too good. I still know people happy with the performance of their iPad 2 on iOS 8. Heck, people are still happy with the first gen.
Not that Apple needs to do anything, just the facts.
I like black bezels, and only one of three models will have that, so my decision has now become extremely easy. Space grey it is, though I would have preferred slate black, like on the first gen iPad Mini.
It's also reasonable to assume that Apple will kill the 32 GB option, which is good news, because it'll only cost $100 more for the upgrade to 64 GB.
Does anyone else think the next gen iPad will have the ability to interact with ApplePay? Im not sure you need to have NFC in an iPad to pay with...but it would really be great for POS systems if the new iPad could automatically accept ApplePay payments if you were a registered merchant.
hard to imagine what killer features they could add to the ipad at this point to sell more. touchID is cool, but not a huge deal. it's really fast already. maybe longer battery life or faster charging.
I too wish they'd bring back the slate, at least for the iPads. It was a nice color. Not that Space Gray is bad, just nice to have options. (I have a SG Air and iPhone 6)
I too wish they'd bring back the slate, at least for the iPads. It was a nice color. Not that Space Gray is bad, just nice to have options. (I have a SG Air and iPhone 6)
Apple is obviously keeping the same colors across both the iPad and iPhone line, so when the next color change comes along, I'm assuming that both iPhones and iPads will offer the same color lineup.
Unless they do iPad Mini c, and it comes in plastic with colors.
For some reason all the Walmart displays for the iPad Mini show that it is available in the same colors as the Touch.
Sorry Bloomberg but the idea that Apple would offer a gold color option to "boost sales" is preposterous. I highly doubt iPad sales have been soft because they didn't offer it in gold.
Yeah, same here. iPad sales are soft are because iPads are too good. I still know people happy with the performance of their iPad 2 on iOS 8. Heck, people are still happy with the first gen.
Not that Apple needs to do anything, just the facts.
It's sort of a joke, but it's sort of serious. I know people with old iPad too. They just feel like "Meh… No need for me to upgrade. This one works fine".
Concerns me a little.
yeah I would expect it to have ApplePay for online transactions at the very least. I hadn't considered the option of it having NFC capabilities for merchant purposes. I doubt you would use it as a customer to authorise a transaction (although I'm sure some would) due to the size but to be able to use it as a merchant to accept payments from iPhone 6 and AppleWatch would be very useful.
Touch ID is need for Apple Pay.
Yep, and the new iPad will have Touch ID.