Apple's upcoming second-generation iPad Air will add another attractive color to its palette,Bloomberg reports.
With tablet sales on the decline, the Cupertino-based tech giant is reportedly planning to offer the 9.7-inch Air 2 in gold, joining the Space Gray and Silver color options first made available with its predecessor. The color was initially offered in an Apple device last September with the iPhone 5S.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also previously claimed the next-gen Air will be draped in gold.
The new iPad will be a crucial addition to the Cupertino-based company's lineup for the holiday shopping season, especially considering sales of tablets have dropped for two straight quarters.
A recent report from Taiwan's Commercial Times (via MacRumors) suggested Apple's rumored Oct. event will not precede the releases of both new iPad Air and Retina Pad Mini tablets this fall.
Apple still reportedly plans to unveil and release this Air 2 this fall, with production scheduled to kick off in Sept. and shipping set for next month, but contradicting previous reports, the site claims the Retina Mini isn't releasing alongside its larger companion. Instead, the CT reports that the "Mini 3" will launch in early 2015, with the rumored 12.9-inch iPad Pro set for a release in Q2 of 2015.
The Air 2 is believed to feature the same design as its predecessor - but with a new Apple A8 chip (compared to the A7 in the Air) and a better 8MP camera.
The A8 chip will allegedly bring with it a 50 percent increase in performance, iClarified notes.
Well-connected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities has stated he believes the Air 2 will offer an A8 chip built by TSMC, Touch ID fingerprint security and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera.
Earlier this week, Digitimes reported that the Air 2 and Pro will pack Samsung display panels, which will start shipping by the end of this year.
