iPad Air 2 with Touch ID and Apple Pay seemingly confirmed


Further evidence has appeared in support of the suggestion that the iPad Air 2 and the next iPad mini will feature Touch ID and Apple Pay support.


Developer Hamza Sood discovered a reference to the technology in the new iOS 8.1 developer beta, which launched recently. Sood found a code string in the beta that reads: "Pay with iPad using Touch ID. With Apple Pay, you no longer need to type card numbers and shipping information."


Such a thing was already pretty much a given, as Apple recently rolled out its second successive iPhone generation to contain the fingerprint-based authentication technology. We've also seen a number of leaked snaps of iPad models containing Touch ID technology, such as the one featured above.


Many were surprised when Apple omitted Touch ID from the iPad Air and iPad mini 2 Retina last year, but in truth the usefulness for such a thing would have been questionable at the time. Prior to the launch of iOS 8 and Apple Pay, the only use for Touch ID was to gain access to your iPhone 5S and to purchase App Store content.


Ever since Touch ID and (in the US, at least) Apple Pay became intrinsic to Apple's plans, it seemed inevitable that iPad support would follow.


Apple is expected to unveil a new batch of iPads - including possibly the 12.9-inch iPad Pro - at a special launch event some time in October. Some reports claim that of these, only the iPad Air 2 will actually see a launch in 2014.


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Via: Cult of Mac