Technology giant Apple posted screenshots of its upcoming iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 in the iTunes Store yesterday a day ahead of a media event where the devices were expected to be introduced.

The screenshots, which appeared to show the new iPads, were first reported on the blog 9to5Mac. They were later taken off the site.

The images revealed the names of the devices - iPad Mini 3 and iPad Air 2. It also appeared the gadgets will have the Touch ID fingerprint sensor which is currently only available in the iPhone.

The devices look similar to the previous models, but are expected to be thinner and have a faster processor, according to media reports.

The media event is scheduled for today at 10am local time in Cupertino, California, where the company is based.

In addition to the new tablet Apple may also introduce its latest desktop operating system OS X Yosemite and possibly a new iMac computer at the event, reports said.

The company may also announce a launch date for Apple Pay, the mobile payment system announced along with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in September, according to media reports.

Apple introduced the most recent iPad models in October 2013 and sales of the gadget have been slipping.

- dpa