Apple has just had a splashy September launch event for the iPhone 6, but it is also gearing up for an October event to showcase new iPad and Mac hardware, plus OS X Yosemite. Bloomberg is reporting a “mid-October” launch event timeframe, and AppleInsider echoes those claims, while Daily Dot’s Michah Singleton says that October 21 will be the specific day. We’ve also heard rumblings that the 21 is the day to watch for, and we’ve also heard that new iPad models have been showing up in analytics for some app developers.
Last year, Apple held an iPad-focused event on October 22, where it launched the iPad Air and the new Retina iPad mini, as well as OS X Mavericks. This year, we’ve heard rumors that a thinner, lighter iPad Air might be in the works (which at least one analyst had pegged for an unveiling at the September event). We’ve also heard about the possibility Apple will launch a larger, 12.9-inch iPad. In light of the launch of the super-sized 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, such proportions begin to make more sense for Apple to further differentiate its tablet and phone lineups. Daily Dot also says we’ll see the third-generation iPad mini unveiled.
A Yosemite launch is almost a certainty, as the Mac operating system represents the other half of a picture Apple began to paint with iOS 8, which is now rolling out to compatible iPhones and iPads. The OS X update will bring Continuity to Macs, letting users seamlessly switch web browsing, email composition and more from mobile to desktop mid-action, and bringing non-iMessage text and voice calls to iMacs, MacBooks, Mac minis and Mac Pros.
The event isn’t yet a lock, but it does look likely based on available information and past Apple launch cycles, plus it would mean a fully refreshed product lineup for Apple heading into the holiday season.