The iPad Air 4 is set to become the first tablet in the whole iPad series to feature a side-mounted Touch ID.
If you happen to be following the latest developments of the iPad Air 4, you must know by now that the next-generation iteration is set to grab some headlines. And not just because of its key design upgrades.
One of the newest to emerge from the grapevine is that Apple could be readying a device with a fingerprint reader integrated into the power button. Days after this speculation, a leaked user manual of the forthcoming iPad Air could very well be that device.
iPad Air: A side-mounted Touch ID?
The manual, which is rendered in Spanish, comes from the Eurasian Economic Commission; the document is deemed to be part of the registration process. In it, images revealed that the new iPad Air features a design that is akin to the 11-inch iPad Pro from 2018, right with thin bezels.
Perhaps the key revelation in the manual is the suggestion that the new iPad Air will adopt Touch ID, as opposed to the newer Face ID technology. The said biometrics will, reportedly, be integrated into the power button, placed on the right side of the device. If it pans out, the refreshed iPad Air will become the first offering in the iPad portfolio to sport a side-mounted Touch ID.
Meanwhile, the manual of the new iPad Air also outed the design of its rear panel. Easily the most interesting feature is its contact pins placed at the bottom of the panel. This is an indication that the device will be capable of the Magic Keyboard. As it stands, the tablet should also support Apple Pencil down the line like the iPad Pros and the newer iPads.
Other rumored features
The new iPad Air is also tipped to arrive with a 10.5-inch Retina display with wide color and True Tone technology. Under the hood, the slate could be powered by the A12 Bionic chipset; this could still be changed though if in the event that the tablet gets launched in 2021.
The tablet is likewise pegged to feature an 8-megapixel camera on its rear, while its front will have a 7MP selfie snapper. There’s also speculation that the device will be featuring the good old 3.5mm headphone jack.
In terms of pricing, the iPad Air 4 could arrive with a starting price tag of USD 499.
Images courtesy of TT Technology/YouTube Screenshot