[NewsPoster]

What looks to be a legitimate logic board for the next-generation iPad Air has leaked, and appears to support several previous rumors regarding the changes that are likely. A new rumor, however, adds to what is generally "known" about the upcoming revision by stating that, like the unexpected debut of the iPhone 6 Plus, the second-generation Retina iPad mini -- long thought to be delayed -- will be debuting alongside the larger version at Apple's press event, scheduled for Thursday.

Though the Apple community has long expected the next iPads to offer upgrades such as the addition of Touch ID and a faster processor, the apparent confirmation of details such as a modified, A8X variant chip and 2GB of on-board RAM will reassure buyers of the larger model that there are still some differences beyond size with the smaller, 7.8-inch iPad mini. The latter is likewise expected to get Touch ID, but will probably ship with just the same A8 chip found in the latest iPhones, and may get only 1GB of RAM compared to the iPad Air's 2GB.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a strong track record of insider information, may have gotten his prediction wrong if the Retina iPad mini does debut on October 16, as he had at one time said that the Retina iPad mini would be delayed (though he later revised this), and would only receive a very minor upgrade, with only the addition of Touch ID. The Japanese Mac site Mac Otakara now says that the smaller iPad also will appear at the debut.

The iPad Air logic board, seen on a Taiwan-based Mac site, reveals for the first time that the forthcoming second-gen Air will use a modified version of the A8 processor used in the iPhone 6 line, though how the A8X is different is not yet clear (the previous "X" variation was simply an overclocked version of the A6). It would appear in the photo that the logic board is indeed using 2GB of RAM supplied by Elpida. The extra RAM may be needed if the suggestion that the iPad Air, at least, will offer the new screen technology that Apple refers to as "Retina HD," alongside the attendant graphics processing upgrades.

In addition to internal changes, the second-gen iPad Air is also expected to get a new gold case color option, matching the options available for the iPhone 6. It's expected that the new Retina iPad mini will also offer a gold option. In addition, the company is likely to update its collection of Smart Covers and Smart Cases for the refreshed iPads.

Finally, the logic board photo suggests that Apple will be retaining the 16GB option as an entry-level iPad model, possibly jumping to 64GB at the next tier to encourage budget customers to reach a little higher to gain more storage. Apple has entirely skipped the 32GB storage level in its iPhone 6 line, offering 16GB, 64GB and 128GB as options.