Latest iPads High on List of What to Look for at Apple’s Oct. 22 Event

by Don Reisinger

Apple’s fifth-generation iPad will be the centerpiece of the company’s event Oct. 22. According to reports, the tablet will come with a design that mimics the one found in the iPad Mini and include an improved processor, better graphics support and other features to improve performance. Look for the slate to come in at the same price as the current models.

There’s some doubt over whether Apple will unveil the iPad Mini at its event. Reports from China have suggested that Apple is having trouble producing enough displays for the device, which could force it to delay its unveiling. Such a move, however, wouldn’t make sense and would cause Apple stock to swoon on Wall Street. Expect Apple to at least unveil the iPad Mini.

If the last several Apple events have proven anything, it’s that Tim Cook is just fine leaving the big product announcements to Phil Schiller and Jonathan Ive. Such a decision stands in stark contrast to Steve Jobs, who would always announce the big products and, sometimes, take credit where it might not have been due, according to Jonathan Ive. It’s quite apparent that Tim Cook is a much different person from Steve Jobs.

Amazon might have tipped off what Apple’s plans for the Apple TV are. The company’s online stores in Germany and France both showed the Apple TV as out of stock on Oct. 18 and indicated that the device wouldn’t be made available again until Oct. 23. If that’s not a smoking gun, what is? Look for the refreshed Apple TV set-top box to make its appearance Oct. 22.

When Apple announced the Mac Pro earlier this year, the company said that it was only a “preview.” Since this event will likely be the last big one from Apple this year, it goes without saying that the Mac Pro, which Apple has said will be available by the end of 2013, will make a showing. Apple will likely announce both Mac Pro pricing and a launch date.

Just about every rumor site on the Internet has said that Apple will unveil new MacBook Pros at its Oct. 22 event. And why not? The device hasn’t been updated since last year, and it was a hit during the last holiday shopping season. It would only make sense for the MacBook Pro to come with a facelift and some new, high-powered features.

OS X Mavericks was unveiled earlier this year at the Worldwide Developers Conference but has yet to actually be made available. There’s a good chance—especially if Apple talks about the MacBook Pro and Mac Pro—that the company will show off Mavericks at its special event. OS X Mavericks looks to be a winner, and Apple knows it.

If an updated Apple TV is made available at the event, you can just about bet that Apple will announce the entertainment deal it’s long been after with television networks. According to numerous reports, Apple has been trying to ink deals that will see the networks deliver their programming through the Apple TV. Now would be the perfect time for Apple to announce such a deal, with the fall TV series in full swing and more shows on their way in the coming weeks.

According to reports from China, Apple has reduced the number of iPhone 5C orders, reflecting what could be the most important issue the company faces right now: how to attract customers who are buying Android-based handsets, rather than Apple’s cheaper smartphones. If the iPhone 5C is indeed having as much trouble on store shelves as reports claim, don’t expect Apple to bring it up at all.

For years, we’ve been hearing that Apple wants to make a deal with China Mobile and sell its iPhone to the company’s more than 750 million subscribers. A recent analyst report suggested that Apple could announce the deal this year and start selling iPhones to China Mobile customers next year. If that’s true, Oct. 22 seems like a fine day to make such an announcement.