Check out our Apple iPad Air tablet review.
Almost a year to the day since Apple pulled the wraps off the iPad 4, the company is expected to do the same for the fifth-generation model, and possibly a refreshed iPad Mini, according to a report Tuesday.
The tech giant is yet to make any official announcement, though AllThingsD, which has called it right in the past on such matters, says the event will take place in or around San Francisco on October 22. The trash-can-shaped Mac Pro and new Mavericks operating system are also likely to make an appearance, with launch dates revealed by the company.
Plenty of leaks and rumors have been doing the rounds in the last six months or so, leading us to believe the revamped 9.7-inch iPad will sport a design closely resembling that of the iPad Mini. In other words, slimmer and lighter with thinner bezels and squarer edges.
An improved rear-facing camera is also expected (currently 5 megapixels), with Apple’s new 64-bit A7 chip under the hood.
Mini
As for the Mini, the updated device is expected to show up with improved innards and a Retina display, though recent reports have pointed to supply issues with the high-resolution display which could mean a bit of a wait for those hoping to get their hands on Apple’s smaller tablet in the period following its launch.
New colors for the iPads – identical to the iPhone 5S (ie. silver, space gray, and gold) – may also be on their way.
It’s also been suggested the two refreshed tablets could be kitted out with the tech company’s new Touch ID fingerprint sensor launched recently with the iPhone 5S, but we’ll just have to wait and see on that front.
October 22 looks set to be a busy day for the tech world – besides the introduction of the new iPads, Nokia is holding a special event in Abu Dhabi where it’s expected to roll out a bunch of new mobile devices, while Microsoft’s refreshed Surface tablets will hit stores in the US.
