TORONTO – The stage is set for Apple to release a bevy of new products ahead of the holiday season – but it seems the next generation of iPads are poised to steal the show.
Apple is holding a special event Tuesday, reportedly to focus on the iPad and iPad Mini refresh.
The tablets are due for an update – in fact, the tech giant announced its most recent iPads and unveiled the iPad Mini at the same time last year.
Apple held a special event at the beginning of September to reveal the iPhone 5S and 5C, along with its new mobile operating system iOS 7.
Invitations to Tuesday’s event – sent to members of the media last week – hinted that there will be much more for CEO Tim Cook and his team to unveil thanks to the tagline “we still have a lot more to cover.”
Read More: New iPads likely at Apple event next week
In keeping with tradition, Apple has yet to announce what exactly the event – set to start at 1 p.m. ET at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco – will have in store, but here is what you can expect.
iPad
Apple’s full-sized tablet may see a design similar to that of the newly-announced iPhone 5S, with a thinner bezel and a brushed metal appearance that may look similar to the new iPhone – it may also come in the same colours as the new phones (space grey, silver and gold).
Other features from Apple’s iPhone 5S are expected to make their way onto the new iPad – including upgraded camera features, such as slow-motion video, and the Touch ID fingerprint scanner.
It’s likely that the iPad will also get an internal upgrade to Apple’s new 64-bit A7 chip.
iPad Mini
This will mark the first update to the iPad Mini since it was released last October.
Much of the buzz surrounding the iPad Mini seems to revolve around whether or not the tablet will get a Retina display; reports remain conflicted. The current generation iPad Mini is the only device in Apple’s mobile lineup that does not have a Retina display.
But the pressure is on for Apple to improve the display quality in the device – main competitors, such as Google’s Nexus 7, are already offering “mini” tablets with high-resolution displays at lower prices.
The iPad Mini is also rumoured to be getting an internal update – however, reports point to the device getting Apple’s A6X processor, which the fourth-generation iPad currently runs.
MacBook Pro
Apple’s MacBook Pro laptop line may also get some air time at Tuesday’s event. The Retina Display MacBook Pros, released last October, are rumoured to be getting an upgrade to Intel’s new Haswell processors – said to bring better performance and increased battery life.
OSX Mavericks
Many are speculating that Apple will announce a release date for its new operating system OS X Mavericks, which we got a sneak peak of during Apple’s WWDC developer’s conference in June.
The new operating system reportedly extends battery life and shortens boot-up times, improves support for multiple displays and imports the tab concept from web browsers to the Finder file-organizer.
OS X Mavericks has been available to developers since June, but as CNet’s Josh Lowensohn points out, a final version of the software became available to developers earlier this month, which may point to a looming public release.
Extras
With the holiday season fast approaching, we may see Apple introduce new iPods Tuesday. Apple unveiled the latest generation of the iPod Touch and iPod Nano last September.
Tech sites have suggested that consumers might see an Apple TV update at Tuesday’s event, however there has been little speculation surrounding what Apple might change. The last time Apple TV saw an update was March 2012.
And much to the dismay of Apple fans and wearable tech enthusiasts, no signs point to an unveiling of the fabled iWatch.
Global News will have full coverage of Apple’s iPad event, starting live at 1 p.m. ET. For live updates during Apple’s event follow tech reporter Nicole Bogart on Twitter.
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