With the runaway success of the Apple iPad Air -- combined with the anticipation of the iPhone 6 -- the computer giant is gearing up for the iPad Air 2 release... which some experts suggest could be as soon as the fall of this year!

According to the U.K.'s MacWorld blog, if Apple's pattern of releasing a new product about once a year continues, we can expect the iPad Air 2 to drop sometime this fall. While it may seem that the iPad Air -- and, if we want to go one step further, the iPad Mini -- only just came out, it's the fact that the first version of the iPad Air was such a success that makes Apple eager to release the new version of its popular tablet. Indeed, Apple has even gone on a hiring spree, which is leading people to speculate that Apple is all-too-eager to get the latest technology out in time for the fall.

"Apple Inc. is hiring hundreds of new engineers and supply-chain managers in China and Taiwan as it attempts to speed up product development and launch a wider range of devices," the site is reporting. "People familiar with the matter said the Cupertino, Calif., company is hiring engineers from rival smartphone maker HTC Corp. and other Taiwanese tech firms to build up teams in Shanghai and Taipei."

So, what can we expect from this go-round of the iPad Air 2? Well, according the International Business Times Australia, the specs for the newest iPad Air shouldn't be that different from the earlier version. Folks are speculating that the bezel-free design, larger screens, high-resolution cameras, and fast processors have become standard for all Apple products, and the iPad Air 2 should be no different. The iPad Air has received mainly positive reviews. Writing for AnandTech, Anand Lal Shimpi writes that the iPad Air "feels like a true successor to the iPad 2," praising it for its reduced weight and size. Shimpi further states that the Air "hits a balance of features, design and ergonomics that I don't think we've ever seen in the iPad."