iPad Air 2 And iPad mini 3 Blow Cover In Cameo iTunes Appearance

Apple's propensity for controlled leaks notwithstanding, it would seem that the web team in charge of keeping the company's iTunes Store up to date was a bit too anxious in regards to today's press event. Or sloppy, take your pick. Either way, the world got an early and presumably unplanned look at Apple's forthcoming iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 tablets.

Both items were featured in screenshots for the iOS 8.1 iPad user guide that appeared within iBooks. If this happened to leak from any other source, we'd caution to take it with a grain of salt. However, this comes straight from Apple, and based on previous rumors and leaks, we're inclined to believe that the screenshots show the real deal.

iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 Screenshot

Barring any changes that Apple may have made since drawing up a draft of the iOS 8.1 iPad user guide, the company's new iPad models will look virtually the same as the ones they're replacing. However, they'll sport some new features and functionality.

The screenshots confirm the addition of Touch ID fingerprint scanners in the Home Button, and also reveal a new Burst Mode for the iPad Air 2. Burst Mode was first introduced for the iPhone 5s -- it allows the handset to take up take photos at up to 10 frames per second, thereby increasing your chances of getting a good shot. It's interesting that Apple appears to be reserving the Burst Mode feature for the iPad Air 2 instead of also including it on the iPad mini 3, which is a bit more portable.

Previous rumors and leaks have the iPad Air 2 also getting an upgrade to a custom A8X System-on-Chip (SoC) and a new gold color option. Beyond those tidbits, we'll have the full scoop later today when Apple holds its press event.