Apple iPad Air 2 Rumored To Get Gold-Color Option While Samsung-Made Screens Likely For iPad Pro

In a bid to boost its tablet sales, which suffered a decline this year, Apple is expected to provide a gold-color option for its upcoming iPad Air 2, a new report said Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The report came a day after a Taiwanese publication claimed that Apple could use Samsung-made screens for both the next-generation iPad Air and the widely-rumored 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

The new versions of the iPad Air 2, which is expected to be introduced sometime this month, will include gold as a choice of color, in addition to the existing silver and gray color options for the company’s flagship tablet lineup, Bloomberg reported, adding that the move is expected to bring the iPad up to speed with Apple’s iPhones, which already come with silver and gold-colored backs for models with a white front.

Apple has used color to beef up sales of its products in the past. In 1999, the company launched candy-colored iMacs, and in 2013, it released a gold-colored iPhone 5s. The latest iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus handsets are also available in gold trim.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also said last month that the iPad Air 2 would be available in the same color palette as the new iPhones, Apple Insider reported.

However, according to RBC Capital Markets analyst Amit Daryanani, the more significant milestone for Apple will be the introduction of the iPad Pro. The larger iPad, which is unlikely to be launched until next year, is expected to attract new customers to Apple’s tablet lineup, Bloomberg reported.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s DigiTimes claimed in a report Tuesday that Samsung will provide Apple with display panels for both the 9.7-inch iPad Air 2 and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, with shipments expected to begin before the end of 2014.