Alleged 'Perfect Replica' of iPad Air 2 Shows Touch ID, Recessed Volume Buttons, New Speaker Grille

[CJM]

People whining about speaker placement: use external audio, headphones etc.

My venerable iPad 3 and its lack of RAM is starting to grate.

 

[s2mikey]

I think user accounts would work well in conjunction with Touch ID. Each user would have their own profile, restrictions, etc tied to their fingerprint. This would be especially useful for families with children. I think by now Apple realizes that most families may only have one iPad.

You might be right that people would like this option but it defeats the idea of a tablet and instead treats it like another laptop. All kinds of major file and app management would be required too which apple might not want to do. I understand that sharing a device has some advantages, especially cost. But, our family all has their own now and things are way better because of it.

I remember Steve Jobs even saying that it's called an "I" pad not a "we" pad.

It's fine to get the kids cheap, older models. That's what we did. Wifey and I have a 4th gen and the Air for us.

 

[lewisd25]

You might be right that people would like this option but it defeats the idea of a tablet and instead treats it like another laptop. All kinds of major file and app management would be required too which apple might not want to do. I understand that sharing a device has some advantages, especially cost. But, our family all has their own now and things are way better because of it.

I remember Steve Jobs even saying that it's called an "I" pad not a "we" pad.

It's fine to get the kids cheap, older models. That's what we did. Wifey and I have a 4th gen and the Air for us.

Not all families have the luxuries that yours does.

 

[HRNess]

Headphone jack ?

It is missing in this mockup. So, is Apple really going to move to a lightning only headphone option?

 

[b3ats]

You don't have to buy it in the same quarter that Apple releases though.. you can just as well wait until Q1 or Q2 to pick up what you want. Gives you time to hear any initial feedback or receive potential fixes.

I am the kind of person that would like to own it from day one. If I have to wait two quarters until I buy it then I may as well wait for the next model, which should be better. Technology goes out of date so quickly that it's not worth coming to the party late.

 

[iOSaddict]

looking good!

 

[ephemeralreason]

I have 2 laptops, 1 is Apple, one is a Horrow Product, both have itunes, depends where I am, I download stuff off the interwebs, in mp4,

I use my ipad to watch when travelling, now some idiot at Apple says I have to spend time syncing my itunes library from one laptop to the next, then upload to my ipad, insane!!!

2 libraries, let me just plug and play, this concept has been around since Win 3.1!!!! Plug and play Apple, instead you create stupid handover for useless devices, at least if you are going to hobble the stupid ipad with only 1 itunes laptop, then at least let my use my SD card slot, of which both laptops have..

MR Ive is a m***on for designing the way he is!!

Rant much?

 

[ephemeralreason]

You have two options.... get yourself a pair of headphones or get yourself a stereo bluetooth speaker. Speakers take up a lot of room. Audio technology hasn't advanced very much in the past 50 years compared to other technologies. The speaker placement of the ipad doesn't bother me at all because I don't need it to replicate a home theater experience and just use a bluetooth speaker if i want better sound. The only things I'm interested in them improving is weight and bezel sizes.

This.

 

[deluxeshredder]

Yeah, because everyone was bursting to find out what the next insanely ugly Macintosh PerfomaCentrisLCVIII SuperMax 2400vg was going to look like -_-

They were still less ugly than Wintel stuff.

 

[tevion5]

They were still less ugly than Wintel stuff.

The Power Macitosh 8600 was better looking than the Mac Pro 2012?

Right...

 

[deluxeshredder]

The Power Macitosh 8600 was better looking than the Mac Pro 2012?

Right...

No.

 

[Yebubbleman]

Another thing that might lend against the legitimacy of these photos: Didn't Apple, just last October (alongside the launch of the current Air and mini) announce all new smart-cases? I suppose that they did have a case for the first generation iPad that was only good on that generation; but it would seem like they'd be scrapping their cases with (a) thinner iPads and (b) reduced speaker holes (as the Smart Cases have always matched the speaker hole placement). However, this could mean that they'd keep the current iPad Air and iPad mini around in the same fashion that they're keeping the fourth generation iPad and first generation iPad mini around this year.

 

[driftless]

We have 3 iPads, an Air, which I use, a mini for my wife; and, an iPad2 which, sadly, is never used. My interest in the Air 2 is threefold: multi-tasking which iOS 8 will address, the A8 chip; and, if RAM will be increased. If the A8 is revolutionary and if RAM gets boosted to 2 - 4GB, then look out, this might be a beast. Think of the app possibilities with increased RAM and a potent A8 chip.

Post-Script: we use one of two Braven speakers when actually listen to or watch movies with the iPads.