Apple is planning to hold an iPad event on October 22, according to All Things D. It is expected that the company will show off the latest updates of the iPad models, as well as the new Mac Pro and OS X Mavericks.
Apple will likely come out with iPad 5 that is thinner and lighter, with an improved camera and Apple's new 64-bit A7 chip, AllThingsD reported earlier on Tuesday. The second-generation iPad mini will have a retina display and the A7 chip, the tech blog added, citing unidentified people familiar with Apple's plans.
We expect the iPad mini 2 release date to be joined by the iPad 5 release date just like the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c shared release dates. The iPad mini and iPad 4 shared the same release date as well.
October 22 is the same day that Microsoft is launching its Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 tablets. Nokia will be holding an event to reveal new hardware on that date as well.
Given the strong competition for small tablets, it is rumored that the starting price of iPad mini 2 will be $299 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model. Amazon is selling its new 7-inch Kindle Fire's price from $229 for 16GB Wi-FI models, while Google's second-generation Nexus 7 offers a similar screen size and storage capacity at the same price.
There is also rumor suggesting that the new iPad devices will have a fingerprint reader. A video posted on YouTube shows how the Touch ID home button fits perfectly in the leaked iPad Mini 2 and iPad 5t front panel.
