The leaked images show the rear shell to have a redesigned speaker grill with larger holes and a microphone placed next to the iSight camera as its new location. Other notable features include a gold housing and recessed volume controls.
The physical mockups of the second generation of iPad Air were first spotted in June. Dubbed as the next full-sized iPad, the images showed similar design to the current model with some tweaked features. While they don't really reveal that much, the images somehow confirmed the fact that a new model of iPad Air is indeed on its way.
Users who have viewed the images said that the upcoming Apple tablet is sporting the Touch ID fingerprint scanner and a faster and better performing A8 processor. Recently, there were other spotted images on the same Weibo site which revealed the engineering diagram of the next iPhone.
Apart from internal structures such as the screw anchors and a host of brackets meant for the tablet's sensor component, physical control, and camera, the iPad Air 2's metal chassis seemed almost identical to the dummy model that was spotted in June. The revealed mockup was also said to have been spotted by Nowhereelse.fr.
The purported image doesn't seem to have a switch for a "mute/orientation lock" toggle which is commonly found on the current models of the iPad and the iPhone. However, it does show a small pinhole placed right above the volume buttons though its purpose is still unknown.
The rear of the iPad Air 2 shows a relocated microphone porthole that sits next to the camera. There's also the return of the Apple logo cutout which was first seen with Apple's iPad mini that has the Retina display. Apple is said to be filling the space with radio-transparent material in order to ensure that on-board communications hardware would be able to successfully transmit and receive various signals such as cellular, Wi-Fi, and GPS.
On the whole, the iPad Air 2's final design boasts of a single row filled with larger and neatly arranged speaker holes as compared to the current iPads' double row grille design.
While features of the next generation iPad Air are scarce and still unknown, many are expecting that it should have an enhanced processor, performance, and the new technology of fingerprint scanning. There were even claims that the future device will have the familiar bonded display of the current iPhone models though everything is yet to be confirmed.
The iPad Air 2 is expected to hit the stores later this year. It remains to be seen whether the new tablet will surpass or at least match the current iPad Air's standing as one of 2013's best tablets and as Tablet of the Year winner by TrustedReviews.
