Apple launching new iPads and Mac computers (despite already 'accidentally' leaking iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 on its own website)
- Leak came ahead of today's announcement for the products
- Confirms the iPad Air 2 and Mini 3 will have Touch ID sensors
- The former will also have 'Burst Mode' on its camera for multiple photos
- Apple also expected to launch new Macs and Mac software
- Will also launch Apple Pay
Apple
is set to officially announce its new range of iPads alongside new Mac
computers, Mac software and its 'Apple Pay' function to turn iPhones
into mobile wallets.
However,
in an unusual gaffe, the firm leaked details of its two new iPads - the
iPad mini 3 and iPar Air 2 - in an iOS 8.1 iPad user guide for iBooks
on iTunes.
It comes ahead of Apple's event in Cupertino today where the firm is expected to officially reveal the products.
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Details of California-based Apple's
two new devices have been revealed. The leak was spotted by Mark Gurman
from 9to5mac in an iOS 8.1 iPad user guide for iBooks on iTunes
(screenshow shown). The leak came ahead of today's official announcement
for the devices
Invites
to its event carried the cryptic message, 'It's been way too long.' CEO
Tim Cook is expected to preside over the event, which begins at 10 a.m.
PDT (1 p.m. EDT).
And
it confirms a number of features including Touch ID sensors for both
and a 'Burst Mode' for taking pictures on the iPad Air 2.
The leak was spotted by Mark Gurman from 9to5mac.
The
screenshot from the iOS 8.1 user guide for iBooks confirms the names of
the two new devices - the iPad Air 2 and the iPad Mini 3.
Both
devices now have a Touch ID sensor in their home button, which was
first employed on Apple's iPhone 5S and now also features on the iPhone 6
and iPhone 6 Plus.
The images also reveal the iPad Mini will have an iSight camera.
And
the iPad Air 2 has also been confirmed to have a Burst Mode like the
iPhone 6, which lets the user take multiple photos but holding the
picture button and then pick their favourite.
Apple has since taken the images down from its website and is yet to comment after MailOnline contacted them.
The
names of both devices have also been confirmed as the iPad Air 2 and
the iPad Mini 3, with their appearances remaining almost unchanged from
their predecessors.
This marks a shift back to the numbering scheme for iPads after the previous round of releases.
Thursday's event comes as sales of Apple's iPads have dropped.
Through the first half of this year, Apple had shipped 29.6 million iPads, a 13 percent drop from the same time last year.
The new iPads are expected to have a rounded design similar to the recently released iPhone 6
Apple plans to issue results for the latest quarter on Monday.
Apple has been facing competition from cheaper tablets running Google's Android operating system.
Besides competition, there's been an overall slowdown in tablet demand.
This week, research firm Gartner projected worldwide shipments of 229 million tablets this year.
Although
that's up 11 percent compared with 2013, it's far less than the 55
percent growth seen last year and the more than doubling in sales in
2012.
More
than half of U.S. households own at least one tablet, and the rest
include people who may not want one or can't afford it, Gartner analyst
Mika Kitagawa said.
While
wireless carriers often subsidize smartphones to bring the price down
to about $200, customers typically pay full price for tablets - starting
at $499 for the iPad Air.
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