Recent rumors echo that, claiming that it's allowed the iPad Air 2 to be as much as 0.5mm thinner than the iPad Air. That would make it just 7mm thick, still not quite the slimmest slate on the market (the Xperia Z2 Tablet is 6.4mm), but it would be the slimmest iPad yet.

A more comprehensive leak claiming to show off a prototype iPad Air 2 in pretty much all its glory has also hit the web, revealing subtle design changes rather than a total overhaul.
iPad Air 2 - LEAK
(credit: nowhereelse)
Something worth noting in this series of images is the fact the Touch ID button from the iPhone 5S appears to be on the iPad Air 2, backing up Kuo's claim that the biometric tech will land on the slate.
iPad Air 2 - LEAK
A new button design may be on the cards (credit: nowhereelse)
iPad Air 2 - LEAK
Will the camera get a boost? (credit: nowhereelse)
iPad Air 2 - LEAK
A slim profile is pretty much nailed on (credit: nowhereelse)
Touch ID seems to be the feature of choice surrounding most of the next-gen iPad rumors, as another image claiming to show the iPhone 6,IPAD AIR CASE FOR KIDS and iPad Air 2 highlights the fingerprint scanner on all three devices.
While another recent leak mentions that Touch ID will be included in the new iPad Air and that it's going to be more durable than the current incarnation.
iPad Air 2 - LEAK
The Air 2, Mini 3 and iPhone 6? (credit: AppleClub)
We've also seen yet another photo of the iPad Air 2, this time alongside an iPhone 5S and with Touch ID just as much of a focus as it has been in previous images.
iPad Air 2
It appears the iPad Air 2 just can't stay away from cameras, as a series of shots appeared on ASCII Plus showing off the front, rear and sizes of a tablet which looks very similar to the ones appearing in previous leaks.
The report does state that the device next to the current iPad Air in the shots is a mock up of Apple's tablet, so it has to be taken with a pince of salt - but again it's more of the same with no slider switch above the slightly redesigned volume keys.
iPad Air 2 - LEAK
No slide switch on the Air 2? (credit: ASCII Plus)
iPad Air 2 - LEAK
iPad Air 2 (L) mock up lines up next to iPad Air (R) (credit: ASCII Plus)
iPad Air 2 - LEAK
The Air 2 is missing its Apple logo (credit: ASCII Plus)
Yet another set of images has emerged, this time supposedly showing the rear cover and they largely line up with what we've seen so far. It's evident from them that the volume controls have been recessed into the frame, while the speaker grille is now a single line of holes and there appears to be a microphone next to the rear camera.
Rear cover
As for what colours the iPad Air 2 will be available in, sources speaking to Bloomberg claim that there will be a gold option, alongside the expected silver and grey shades.
While we loved the iPad Air, there's always room for improvement. Head over to page two to see what we'd love to see on the iPad Air 2.
The iPad Air is a great device but even brilliance can be built upon, so there's room for improvement for Apple's sixth generation slate - aka theiPad Air 2.
Since the Air shares much of its design and many of its components with the latest IPAD AIR CASE FOR KIDS, some of this list overlaps with what we want to see for theiPad mini 3. But given the new iPad Air will be the flagship model, there are a few other things Apple could do.

A bigger screen

There's always a tradeoff between portability and screen size, but the success of some competing tablets shows that there is a market for devices larger than the iPad.
And before you dismiss the idea, remember this is the company that said it wouldn't build a smaller iPad and then went on to design the wildly successful iPad mini.
iPad Air 2
Recent rumours have raised the spectre of a 12.9-inch iPad, significantly larger than the current 9.7-inch screen and running at 2K or even 4K resolution.
While the current Retina display running at 2,048 x 1,536 pixels could arguably already be described as 2K or very close, having a physically larger screen would be good for movies and photo editing, and Apple likes to boast about statistics when it suits.
Of course, this could actually be the much-vaunted iPad Pro, which would mean the iPad Air would stay the same - and if that's the only way to maintain portability, we're all for it.
Current rumors are pointing to a more 'pressure sensitive' display, which would allow for better reception of prods from your digits and even thatmuch-fabled iStylus that could do everything but make the tea for you.

Bluetooth mouse support

As the iPad gets more powerful it becomes a more realistic proposition as a work machine, with current models inching closer to being dubbed true laptop replacements. The only problem is that touch input just isn't as accurate as mouse input for some tasks.
Adding support for mice or graphics pen-style devices over Bluetooth could make the iPad a more usable device for more complex tasks, especially when it comes to graphics apps.
This would be quite a step for Apple since it touts touch as easy and intuitive, but it would nonetheless be welcomed by some users.

Facial recognition

iPads have had a front-facing camera for ages, and the Camera app is already able to detect faces when focusing.
So it would be nice to have some means to unlock or authenticate your device by simply holding it up as you normally do and having the camera recognise you. However, there's a big caveat here: Apple needs to do what it did with Touch ID and make the system work instantly, and be very hard to spoof.
There are other possibilities instread, such as eye tracking, scrolling pages depending on your eye movements, or pausing movies when you look away. Again, we've seen these already, so we'd be looking to Apple to make the system flawless.