A rumor out of East Asia on Monday claims mass production of Apple's "iPad Air 2" starts this month ahead of an October release, while the second-generation iPad mini with Retina display could be pushed back into 2015.
Citing sources familiar with the matter, Taiwan's Commercial Times reports Apple's iPad Air 2 is slated for release next month, but will not debut alongside a revamped iPad mini as some expected.
Instead of the usual two-device iPad launch, the publication claims Apple is looking to position the next-gen 7.9-inch iPad mini reveal for the first quarter of 2015. The timeline is a bit suspicious given Apple's most recent iPad release cycle, as well as informed reports pointing to a simultaneous release with the iPad Air 2.
Not much is known about the next-generation iPad Air, but the overall design is thought to remain largely unchanged based on supposed parts leaks. The second-gen version is thought to include Apple's Touch ID fingerprint recognition hardware, the new A8 system-on-chip and M8 motion coprocessor.
In addition to the iPad Air and iPad mini, the report goes on to say that a larger 12.9-inch "iPad Pro" will hit the production line sometime in quarter two, with a launch soon to follow. Apple has long been rumored to be working on a jumbo sized tablet and the most recent rumors are in line with an early 2015 debut.