With Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) scheduled to be held on June 2, speculations are making rounds about the features, cost and launch date of the successor to the company's iPad Air tablet --- the iPad Air 2.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPad Air 2 tablet at the forthcoming WWDC event. Along with the second-generation iPad Air, Apple will also introduce a number of other new devices - including the iPhone 6, a new Macbook line, and iOS 8 - at the event.

Amid the rumors making rounds about the specification of iPad Air 2, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has predicted that the next-generation Air model will feature the Apple A8 processor for increase in overall speed and performance; as well as the fingerprint scanner introduced in iPhone 5S, and an 8-megapixel rear camera.

Noting that the processor, the fingerprint recognition feature and the main camera resolution will mark the "biggest changes" in the iPad Air 2, vis-a-vis the original iPad Air, Kuo also projected that the launch of the upgraded iPad Air model will probably be earlier that of the iPad Air in 2013. The new iPad Air will likely be announced by Apple in June, and will hit the markets in October.

Meanwhile, some other rumors have also hinted that iPad Air 2 will feature 64-bit architecture capable of delivering faster performance; and will also be launched with Intel chip-set just like the Macbooks. The cost of the tablet will approximately be $500.