Apple's keynote media event for the launch of the iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2 kicks off today in just a few hours at 10 a.m. PT/ 1 p.m. ET on October 22, 2013.
Apple is slated to unveil its next-generation iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2 and the all new Macbook Pro line, along with the refreshed Mac operating system – the Mavericks OS X - at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California.
The Cupertino company's press invitation for the keynote address states, "We still have a lot to cover."
Apple will provide an official live stream for its keynote media event this week to showcase the launch of the fifth-generation iPad and second-generation iPad Mini. Apple just officially announced a live stream which will be available via Safari-enabled Apple devices and through Apple TV, , as the 'Apple Events' channel has reportedly appeared on Apple TV. Click HERE for the live stream.The events video page for the October 22 event states: "Live Streaming video requires Safari 4 or later on OS X v10.6 or later; Safari on iOS 4.2 or later. Streaming via Apple TV requires second- or third-generation Apple TV with software 5.0.2 or later."
Live blog coverage will also be available from CNET.
According to 9to5 Mac, the event will be available via simultaneous live stream from London. Apple held a similar satellite stream for international media in other major cities outside of the U.S. such as Berlin, Tokyo and Beijing for its iPhone 5S event in September, and they are expected to do the same for the iPad event. The satellite stream for the international media event in London will take place at the Kings Place Hall at 6 p.m. GMT.
9to5 Mac also reports that Apple will be setting up live streams for its employees around the world.
What to expect at Apple's keynote event on October 22
iPad 5, iPad Mini 2
On the heels of the success of the gold-colored iPhone 5S, Apple is expected to launch the iPad Mini 2 in the new popular color. It will also come in a new Space Gray color variant with anodized aluminum, along with the Touch ID fingerprint sensor that is featured on the iPhone 5S.
The new iPad Mini 2 and iPad 5 are rumored to feature slimmer designs and pack a A7 chip, which also powers the iPhone 5S. It is also expected to pack the all new M7 chip, a motion co-processor. Fans hope that both tablets will sport a retina display.
New Macbook Pro
A refreshed line of Macbook Pro laptops is currently long overdue. The tech giant launched the Haswell-packed Macbook Air in June this year, but so far, there has been no sign of the Macbook Pro. This week's event is set to feature the all new upgraded Macbook Pro laptops, which will feature Intel's Haswell processor that will prolong battery life and improve speed. Rumors also state that the new laptop will support 4k display and also come with a supreme display technology. There are already rumors that the new Macbook Pro will feature Sharp's IGZO display panel with a resolution of 3840x2160 that will allow longer battery life.
OS X 10.9 Mavericks
Apple introduced the new Mac operating system at the WWDC in June. Since then, numerous beta-versions have been released to developers. This weekend, Apple updated it's final OS X Mavericks Golden Master (GM) version to a new build. The original Golden Master version (13A598) was seeded on October 3, and this week's upgrade to the GM version is the 13A603 version.
The Golden Master version is the final version to be released to developers before the operating system is officially rolled out to consumers by the end of this month.
Mavericks is expected to launch pre-installed with the Macbook Pro laptops before the end of this month and the new Mac Pros which will ship in a few months. Mavericks is expected to go live on the Mac App store either on October 22 or by the end of the month.
New features for the latest OS X include a new Maps app, a tabbed finder, iBooks, new look to the calendar, improved Safari, iCloud Keychain, multiple displays and more. See Apple's preview of the new features here.
Last year, the Mountain Lion OS X released on July 25, 2012 for $19.99. The previous year, Apple charged $29.99 to upgrade to OS X Lion.
