New iPad expected to shed more weight and boost the power

The new full-sized tablet could well be the thinnest and most lightweight on the market when it's revealed later this month.

The new full-sized tablet could well be the thinnest and most lightweight on the market when it's revealed later this month.

According to the Michael Report, which has obtained images and illustrations of the new device from a source inside Apple, the new iPad Air will be 0.5mm thinner than the existing iPad Air which, at 7.5mm, didn't exactly have a bulging midriff.

The publication also seems to verify earlier reports that the new iPad is going to have a better, coated screen to make it easier to view in sunlight as Apple will be applying the same manufacturing techniques to the iPad's display as it already does to iPhones.

In terms of storage, it appears that Apple will be dropping the 16GB option altogether, meaning that the second-generation iPad Air can only be specified with 32GB, 64GB or 128GB of storage. However, it appears that the new iPad Mini will continue to be offered with 16GB on board as an option.

Both cameras on the full-size tablet will also get a performance boost with the front-facing lens being upgraded to handle high-definition FaceTime calls.

The tablet will also reportedly be getting the Touch ID fingerprint sensor integrated into its homekey for heightened security and for making mobile payments along with the latest generation A8 processor found in the latest iPhone -- so it will be fast.

And finally it will be offered in the same choice of colors as the current iPhone range -- so silver, gold, and space grey.

As well as new tablets, Apple is expected to unveil new iMacs with ultra-high definition displays and the consumer version of its latest desktop operating system OSX Yosemite, at its next launch event which, according to Re/code, is scheduled for October 16.