The upcoming gold iPad from Apple is said to belong in the iPad Air 2 lineup. Just like the more recent iPhone devices that provide three color options, the new iPad will also offer the opulent gold hue.
Sources say that the new color choice may be the company's attempt to enhance the sales of the iPad, which slightly fell in the previous year. Apple CEO Tim Cook even compared the iPad sales dip to a "speed bump."
When the iPad was introduced in 2010, it enjoyed sales of $5 billion, which soared up to $30 billion in 2012. Records show that sales of the iPad have fallen for the past two quarters and reached only $32 billion.
Apart from the new gold iPad model, reports indicate that Apple is launching the second-generation iPad Air 2 and the iPad mini with a 7.9-inch and Retina Display on Oct. 21.
In 2015, Apple is rumored to be launching a much bigger lineup of iPads that will sport a 12.9-inch display. The bigger models are designed to cater to a wider range of users, including those that belong in the executive class.
At the beginning of September, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities predicted that Apple would be announcing the release of an iPad Air 2 in gold. The device is said to feature the Touch ID Home button, an anti-reflective display and an improved processor.
Apple has been using color in order to boost sales of its products in the past. This trend began with the introduction in 1999 of the candy-colored iMacs. Somehow, the move had varied levels of success. Likewise, the lower-end iPhone 5c was launched in 2013 and came in a variety of bright colors. Amit Daryanani, RBC Capital Markets analyst, described the sales of the iPhone 5c as disappointing.
If the iPad's color palette is indeed patterned after the color options of the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, this would mean that the iPad models with a white faceplate shall come with gold or silver backs and models with a black front will have a space gray back. Apart from this bit of information, the soon-to-be-revealed gold iPad is reportedly a 9.7-inch iPad Air 2.
Apple is said to host an event in October where the new iPads will be unveiled.
