New photos of what is allegedly a leaked manual for an as-yet-unreleased iPad Air show a middle-tier iPad with an all-screen display, with no Home button but instead sporting Touch ID in the Power button.
The new photos originated from Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu and were shared on Twitter by leaker DuanRui. The photos show a Spanish language manual for an iPad Air, sporting an edge-to-edge screen.
iPad Air 4
Touch ID
via 小红书 pic.twitter.com/2jc09uAKUY— DuanRui (@duanrui1205) August 27, 2020
While the lack of a Home button would seem to indicate the device will use Face ID, the manual instead instructs users to “Touch ID with the top button to unlock the iPad Air,” with an image below the text showing an iPad with a longer power button.
Other pages in the manual reference USB-C connectivity in place of the traditional Lightning port, and also depicts a Smart Connector on the rear of the device to connect a Magic Keyboard and other compatible accessories.
There have been multiple rumors indicating Apple will release a new iPad in the near future. However, rumors have varied over the device that may be released.
Some rumors have discussed an 11-inch iPad Air with an all-screen display that sports an under-screen version of Touch ID. Meanwhile, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested a 10.8-inch iPad Air is on the way for the second half of the year, but it hasn’t been specified what model iPad would be released.
The next-generation iPad Air has been rumored to feature a USB-C port like the iPad Pro, in place of a Lightning port, which is depicted in this manual.
As is normal for reports like these, take this with a grain of your favorite salt-free seasoning, as manuals like these can be fabricated, and Apple’s plans have also been known to change at the last minute. We’ll keep you posted.
