Apple is set to unveil new iPads today in just about an hour. The new products arrive at a time when Apple is losing market share to the competition, although it still remains the most popular tablet. Can the new devices reverse declining iPad sales?
The new iPads will sport fingerprint sensors, just like the iPhone 5s, 6, and 6 Plus, and will be thinner and faster than their predecessors, the New York Times reports. And they are also said to support Apple Pay, the mobile payment platform Apple will kick off shortly.
That seems a logical move, since the devices will incorporate Touch ID, allowing users to make purchases using the fingerprint sensor, although we are skeptical about anybody pulling out an iPad in store to make a purchase. More likely these devices will make shopping a one-tap experience inside apps, similar to what we have seen with the App Store.
The new iPads are also expected to include support for Apple Pay, the mobile payments system that Apple introduced last month for making purchases using the fingerprint sensor inside apps, rather than having to enter a credit-card number. And for those looking for a new color, gold iPads will be added to the mix.
Also, Brian X. Chen’s sources whispered that Apple will start selling iPads in gold, starting this year.
However, what Apple is doing in the background may be even more important for the iPad than hardware upgrades, says Chen: for example, the company’s partnership with IBM that will strengthen iPad and iPhone usage in business, a highly important market for Apple.
So what does Apple have up its sleeve? What has been “way too long”? We’ll find out in less than an hour.
