As expected, Apple sent invites to a special event on October 22 in San Francisco, last week. Typically of Apple, the invite did not reveal much about what is expected to be a day devoted to iPad updates. It did however, bear the message, "We still have a lot to cover," which could imply that the Cupertino giant may unveil a range of product offerings.
While nothing has been announced officially, reports coming from some big sources, including the Wall Street Journal, have given us a fair idea of what to expect. Here's what to expect from Apple when it takes the stage on Tuesday:
- New iPad and iPad mini: The second Apple fall event is likely to bring a new lineup of iPad tablets, from a new iteration of the company's 9.7-inch flagship tablet, to a refreshed iPad mini, its 7.9-inch tablet. The
new iPad is reportedly being modelled on the iPad mini in terms of design and form factor. The new iPad is expected to feature the same touch-panel technology that's seen in the iPad mini, making it thin and light.
The iPad mini's expected to also get an upgrade, though there have been
conflicting reports on whether it will sport a high-resolution Retina display. However,
recent reports suggest that Apple's likely to include a Retina display.
The new iPads are also rumoured to sport an
improved 8-megapixel rear camera sensor and to be powered by new upgraded processors. The fifth-generation iPad is likely to be powered by the 64-bit A7 chip that also powers the new iPhone 5S. Some analysts also predict a 64-bit chip for the second-generation iPad mini.
The iPads could also come in new Space Gray and Gold colour variants.
- Macs: Apple is expected to announce a refresh for its MacBook Pro and Retina MacBook Pro laptops, updating them with a new Haswell chip (fourth-generation Intel Core processor), faster 802.11ac Wi-Fi and an improved front camera. Even the Mac mini could get a refresh. Apple is also expected to announce the availability details of its new Mac Pro systems, that it teased at the WWDC event in June.
- OS X Mavericks and other software: The Gold Master release of OS X Mavericks, Apple's updated desktop OS
has already been seeded to developers for testing, and has even been updated once. The public availability of the OS is expected this week, and Apple could even start seeding it following the event. The new OS brings new features like Finder Tabs; Tags; enhanced multiple display support; updated native apps like Maps, iBooks, and Safari browser; and iCloud keychain, among others. It also brings under the hood changes for faster performance and longer battery life, including Timer Coalescing that groups low-level operations together so that the processor doesn't use more power and battery is conserved, App Nap that saves power while working on multiple apps by slowing down the apps that are in the background, and compressed memory that frees up memory space for faster performance.
Apple's also expected to release new versions of its iWork productivity suite for Mac and iOS, and perhaps the iLife suite of apps which includes iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand. New iOS 7 icons for the apps have already made an appearance on the Apple website. In addition to that, Apple will also start offering GarageBand, its music focused app, free to iOS users with in-app purchases, as indicated by a product page on Apple's website,
noted by MacRumors. Apple had started offering the iLife and iWork apps free to users who recently purchased an iOS device following the official launch of the new iPhones and iOS 7.
While an
Apple TV refresh was also rumoured, it's not clear if Apple would also refresh its Internet media player. We've also not heard any new rumours related to an iPod touch refresh.