Apple's latest lineup of tablets - the iPad Air 2 and the iPad Mini 3 - are now official, boasting Touch ID functionality, a new gold color option, Apple Pay, and more.

The new-generation Apple tablets have starred in numerous rumors ahead of their official unveiling, and it now seems that some of those rumors were accurate. The new iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 2 do indeed come with Touch ID fingerprint readers, and they do borrow from the iPhone's color palette to offer a new gold color option.

Apple's latest tablets come shortly after Google unveiled its new HTC Nexus 9, heating up the tablet market even further. The new-generation iPads come with high-end specs and features all around, especially the iPad Air 2, so here's what you need to know about them.

iPad Mini 3

The third-generation iPad Mini looks very similar to its predecessor, sporting the same 7.9-inch form factor and a virtually identical design, complete with the high-resolution Retina display. The iPad Mini 3 does, however, come with a Touch ID home button, as well as the aforementioned gold color option.

The new-generation iPad Mini doesn't boast any major upgrades under the hood, however, at least not up to the scale the iPad Mini 2 did over its predecessor. The iPad Mini 2, for instance, brought notably superior specs over the original iPad Mini, putting it on par with the full-sized iPad at the time. The iPad Mini 3, meanwhile, keeps the same A7 processor and M7 co-processor of the iPad Mini 2, and it still comes with a 5-megapixel iSight camera, albeit with improved features. In other words, the only major changes consist of the Touch ID functionality, Apple Pay, and the new gold color option.

"We made iPad mini small. We made it fast. We made it incredibly capable. And now we made it even better. With advancements like Touch ID and iOS 8, a new gold finish, there's even more about the iPad mini to love," Apple touts on the product page.

"iPad mini 3 comes with our breakthrough Touch ID technology. It gives you an unprecedented level of security because it uses nature's most perfect password: your fingerprint. So with just one touch, you can instantly unlock your iPad mini. But Touch ID goes beyond that. You can also make secure purchases in iTunes, iBooks, and the App Store. And with Apple Pay, you can unlock an entire world of online shopping that's fast, convenient, and secure."

The iPad Mini 3 will be available in 16GB, 64GB, and 128GB configurations for $399, $499, and $599, respectively, for the Wi-Fi models, and $529, $629, and $729, respectively, for the Wi-Fi + Cellular variants. For more information, head over to Apple's website at this link.

iPad Air 2

The iPad Air 2 comes with a 9.7-inch Retina display and boasts more notable updates over its predecessor, launching as the "world's thinnest tablet," according to Apple. The new-generation iPad Air is 18 percent thinner compared to its predecessor, sporting a profile of just 6.1mm-thick. The iPad Air 2 also comes with more significant upgrades under the hood, packing a new A8X processor and M8 co-processor, an 8-megapixel iSight camera, a Touch ID fingerprint reader, and more.

"With a new A8X chip built on second-generation 64-bit desktop-class architecture, iPad Air 2 is the fastest, most powerful iPad ever. With this kind of performance, you might expect a compromise or two. Like a bigger form factor or a shorter battery life. But iPad Air 2 is both thinner and lighter than the previous iPad Air. And thanks in part to the M8 motion coprocessor, it still has an incredibly long 10-hour battery life. So you can do more. While carrying less," boasts Apple.

Simply put, the new-generation iPad Air 2 comes with the same sleek design as the original iPad Air, but with more powerful internals internals under the hood.

The iPad Air 2 comes in 16GB, 64GB, and 128GB configurations at $499, $599, and $699, respectively, for the Wi-Fi-only models, and $629, $729, and $829, respectively, for the Wi-Fi + Cellular variants. For more information, check out the iPad Air 2 product page on Apple's website.

Both the iPad Air 2 and the iPad Mini 3 come with iOS 8, Apple Pay, Touch ID, and a new gold color option, among the highlights.

Customers in 29 countries and territories will be able to order the new iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 online starting Friday, Oct. 17. Both iPads will be available starting next week in the U.S., Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China (Wi-Fi models only), Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau (Wi-Fi models only), Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. Through the end of this month, availability will expand to Croatia, Greece, Puerto Rico, Russia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and elsewhere around the world.