iPad 5 Release Date, Specs to be Unveiled at Apple's October 22 Event

By Eric Chen

Apple is reportedly unveiling the fifth generation of iPad dubbed as iPad 5 and iPad mini 2 at an invite-only event on Oct. 22, according to AllThingsD. The company is also expected then to further introduce the new Mac Pro and OS X Mavericks and possibly announce the release dates.

The iPad 5 is reportedly thinner and lighter in design like that of iPad mini's, and it has an improved camera, an unnamed source told AllThingsD's John Paczkowski. In addition, the new iPads are expected to have the 64-bit A7 chip that is still yet to be confirmed.

Some rumors of leaked reports said that the new iPads will get Apple's new TouchID fingerprint recognition function that debuted on the iPhone 5s in September.

While the focal point is obviously on the new iPads, Apple is most likely going to further introduce Mac Pro and OS X Mavericks. It has already unveiled the Mac Pro during June's World Wide Developer Conference, but the company hasn't announced a shipping date and few questions remaining about internal specs. 

Paczkowski said he was not able to confirm the event's location, but he did rule out the California Theatre in San Jose, the site of the iPad mini's unveiling in 2012. This leaves either the Apple's Town Hall Auditorium in Cupertino or the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.

Oct. 22 coincides with the official release date of Microsoft Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 for sale in retailers and Nokia's Innovation Reinvented showcase.

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