Oct 13, 2014 11:48 AM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

New images of the to-be-released iPad Air 2, but not in any form most consumers would recognize the tablet.

According to 9to5Mac, Taiwanese tech blog Apple.Club.TW obtained photos of the iPad Air 2's "full logic board," home button, volume controls and glass casing. Among the photos is an A8X processing chip, whereas past reports stated the new tablet would have an A8 chip, the one in the new iPhones.

9to5Mac called the A8X chip "surprising" and a sign that Apple wants "more powerful processors for iPads." Apple had previously used A5X and A6X processors for past iPad models, rather than the A5 and A6 iPhone chips. That stopped with the A7 processor, which was used in both the iPhone 5S and the iPad released that year.

One reason for going back to a more powerful processing chip for the iPad Air 2 will be all its capabilities. For example, the new iPads, as indicated by the leaked images, will support fingerprint scanning with the Touch ID home button. The new mobile operating system and enhanced display (supposedly the "Retina HD") also demand more performance, plus Apple customers are used to a certain level of user friendliness and fluidity.

Apple officially released invites to an event at their Cupertino, Calif. headquarters for Friday, Oct. 16. In addition to new iPad models, Apple could also unveil new desktop computers and laptops.

Apple's tablet sales have been in decline for two consecutive quarters, meaning the company is overdue for a refresher on that front. The tech giant has also been indicating that 2014 would be a big year for the company. Literally.

After releasing 4.7- and 5.5-inch iPhones, Apple is reportedly developing a 12.9-inch iPad, though the Wall Street Journal reported it will not be released until 2015. The larger model could also have a blended iOS - OS X operating system and would be business-centered 2-in-1 device.

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