iPad Air 2 Specs And Release Date: Thinner And Lighter Body, 8MP Back Camera, And Macbook Intel Chip-Set For New Slate, Predicts Analyst; 3 Variants Available For Next Gen iPad; October Launch A Go

Latest iPad Air 2 specs and release date news verify that the new tablet is coming this year.

According to previous reports, the new iPad will be released next month along with 2 other new Apple products- the new Mac OS and the iPad Mini 3.

The next gen iPad Air was previously believed to have the same release date as the iPhone 6. 

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted some notable features that the iPad Air 2 might have.  Aside from having major improvements on its speed and performance because of the Apple A8 processor, he also suggested that it will have Apple's fingerprint scanner technology called Touch ID which first debuted on the iPhone 5S.

He also confidently mentioned that as with past Apple product launches, the camera almost always gets a significant upgrade.  His prediction on the new Air?  An 8 megapixel back camera.

It is also rumored that it will have an integrated display into its front panel making it much thinner and lighter.  On top of that, it is also believed to have a 64-bit architecture for faster performance and an Intel chip-set just like those in Macbooks.

Some iPad Air 2 specs and release date reports suggest that the tablet will also run on iOS 8 that will come with a split-screen multitasking feature, which will enable users to use two applications at the same time.

Meanwhile, MacRumors claim that the 2 new iPads will have the following features:

"Both the next-generation iPad Air and Retina iPad mini are expected to gain updated A8 processors, camera improvements, and the Touch ID fingerprint sensor first introduced with the iPhone 5s. Apple's iPad Air 2 may also gain an anti-reflective screen coating and it may also ship in gold, silver, and space gray, much like the iPhone."

Stay tuned for more iPad Air 2 specs and release date news here!