Apple accidentally leaks new iPad info ahead of debut

A mix-up involving Apple’s iTunes Store accidentally gave tech enthusiasts an early look at the company’s forthcoming iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 tablets on Wednesday that weren’t supposed to be made public until later this week.

The 9to5mac blog was quick to call on an iTunes gaffe that momentarily gave users of Apple’s online store a glimpse of the touchscreen tablets that weren’t scheduled to be debuted until Thursday at an official unveiling in Cupertino, California.

According to the blog, iTunes store visitors were given a sneak peak after screenshots for the user guide pertaining to Apple’s latest mobile operating system, iOS 8.1, ended up online with images of the not-yet-released tablets, albeit a day early.

“The screenshots confirm that both new tablets will include nearly identical designs to their predecessors and the addition of Touch ID sensors in the Home button,” the blog noted, suggesting Apple has indeed embedded new touch-sensitive sensors on the devices, presumably similar to the ones that have been available on the company’s iPhone since the release of the 5s in 2014 and subsequent updates.

“Besides the tweaked designs and Touch ID sensors, a gold color option and a stronger A8X processor, improved camera optics and new software can be expected at least on the new Air,” the blog acknowledged.

Additionally, the screenshots suggest that the forthcoming iPad Air 2 will contain a “burst” function that will allow users to “to take rapid-fire photos” for the first time with the tablet.

News of the leaked Apple photos came only moments after Google officially unveiled new changes to its competing devices, including the Nexus TV, phone and tablet devices, and barely a month after the Cupertino company became the subject of ridicule after the highly-anticipated launch event for its newest iPhone model was largely panned. In the weeks since, Apple has continued to come under attack for, among other reasons, forcing a copy of U2’s latest album on customers and, according to some reports, marketing a mobile phone that is probe to being bent. As RT reported earlier this month, a German tech magazine has claimed that they were banned from attending future Apple launch parties after demonstrating after the last one that the new iPhone 6 can be bent if the proper pressure is applied to the device.

“From now on,” Computer Bild editor-in-chief Axel Telzerow said his magazine was told by an Apple rep, “you won’t get any devices for testing purposes and you will not be invited to Apple events in the future.”