New iPad to offer gold option: report

A new report from Bloomberg tallies with earlier rumors that Apple will be adopting the same color palette it uses for iPhones on the next generation iPad Air.

Although Apple has refused to either confirm or deny the story, Bloomberg's sources claim that the move is an attempt to boost sales of iPads as the demand for all tablets starts to cool following nearly four years of unprecedented growth.

Ming-Chi Kuo, the KGI Analyst with a golden touch when it comes to second-guessing what Apple has planned, said in September that he expected a gold version of the iPad to materialize this year and reports from various sources also claim that the company is considering offering some of its 2015 notebooks in the same finish.

If true, the decision would be a remarkable turnaround. Apple adopted gold as a color finish for the iPhone 5S and decided that applying the finish to anything bigger than a smartphone crossed the line from stylish to tacky.

ABI Research, which published its latest report into the state of the tablet market on Tuesday, claims that growth in the sector is at an all-time low of 2.5 % and while Apple and Samsung are still the world's most popular tablet brands -- they account for almost 70 % of all sales -- they are starting to stagnate as cheaper alternatives arrive in stores.

As well as a gold-tone finish, the new iPad Air is expected to feature a faster processor, a special treatment on the screen to make it easier to view when outdoors and the same Touch ID fingerprint scanner on the latest-generation iPhone in order to up security and simply mobile payments.

And while Apple is yet to send out invites, the company is expected to unveil its new tablets at a special event towards the end of October.