We are now just a couple of days away form Apple’s media event – an event that we all expect the company to announce at least two new iPads at. With that in mind though, it’s also an event that we suspect will see one or two other products shown off, even if they aren’t all quite ready to ship.
iPad mini 2
The most obvious device that we expect Apple to demonstrate on-stage and hopefully make available soon is the iPad mini. With a Retina display now almost a formality, the real questions surround what CPU will power the new iPad mini, and whether Apple will bring Touch ID to its diminutive tablet. We’re not convinced that we’ll be unlocking our iPad minis using our fingerprints just yet, but the bigger iPad is a different matter completely.
iPad 5
Set to be based on a chip that closely resembles the A7 found in the iPhone 5s, the iPad 5 is a good bet to receive Apple’s new Touch ID security technology, even if its smaller brother is not. The new, larger iPads are always seen as Apple’s high-end tablets, with the mini filling a need at the lower end of the market. Bringing a fingerprint sensor to the iPad 5 makes perfect sense, though that doesn’t always mean it’ll actually happen!
The iPad 5 is also expected to feature a new, smaller bezel as if to try and make it harder to hold without dropping.
OS X Mavericks Release
On the software front, and hot on the heels of iOS 7, expect to see OS X Mavericks demonstrated now that it’s basically finished. Now that the Golden Master version of OS X 10.9 has been seeded to developers, we wouldn’t be at all surprised if Apple launched the new operating system on Tuesday, making it available for consumers instantly via the Mac App Store.
If you are a registered developer on Mac Dev Center, you can download OS X Mavericks 10.9 GM right now.
Mac Pro (2013)
And what about the Mac Pro? While talk over the last couple of years has been about whether Apple would dump its powerful desktop computer, Apple’s revealing of the dustbin-shaped Mac now has us with just two questions; what will it cost, and when can we buy it? Hopefully we’ll have an answer for at least one of those questions by the close of play on the 22nd.
Haswell-Powered Retina MacBook Pro
Finally, some are holding out for new MacBook Pros come Tuesday, and while possible we wouldn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up. That said, Intel’s Haswell is the new kid on the block, and is currently powering the MacBook Air. Bringing the new chip to the MacBook Pro is surely just a matter of time, so we’ll have to wait and see whether that time is up on Tuesday morning.
Updated iWork and iLife suite of apps for iOS
If the recently leaked icons of GarageBand and iPhoto are anything to go by, all of the iWork and iLife suite of apps for iOS are expected to get updated with their iOS 7 makeover come Tuesday.
There’s lots that could potentially happen at Tuesday’s event. Us? We just want a Retina iPad mini that doesn’t cost the Earth.
And if it’s in gold, then we’ll be doubly happy!
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