Is this Apple's next iPad Air?

Is this Apple's next iPad Air?

David Pierce

The Verge 

Apple's October event, traditionally the day the company announces the next generation of iPads, appears to be set for October 16th. That means leaks should start coming fast and furious — and Tinhte.vn may have one of the best yet. The Vietnamese site published a set of pictures purporting to be the next iPad Air, featuring basically all of the upgrades we've been expecting from the next generation of Apple's tablets.

Most obvious is just how thin these tablets are — reportedly just 7mm, about the same as the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. (The photos basically show a blown-up iPhone 6, which seems safe to assume the Air will be.) There's what appears to be a Touch ID sensor on the front, redesigned volume buttons, and very little else that appears new.

There's no mute switch / rotation lock on this model, but there are any number of reasons for that. Tinhte.vn guesses that it's been removed for the sake of thinness, but since the same switch fits fine on the iPhone 6 that explanation doesn't quite hold up. There's also an odd, out-of-place hole on the side, and some unpolished, rough metal on the bottom, so it's clear this isn't a finished device, and may just be missing a few final touches.

There are plenty of other rumors about the iPad Air, but whether or not Tinhte.vn's photos are of the new model or not they depict essentially the device we expect to see next week. Thinner, lighter, Touch ID, some improved specs, maybe an anti-reflective screen, but the same iPad Air as ever. We'll be there next week to see the new models in person, and to find out if Apple has anything truly surprising in store.