Apple announcement coming on October 22: “We still have a lot to cover”

Apple has confirmed the date of its next big announcement, October 22, sending tech enthusiasts and Apple fanatics into a spin about what the next product innovations will be.

Technology experts have been speculating for weeks now about Apple’s next announcement, so to most it came as no surprise.

Media invitations to the event arrived yesterday, with the announcement to be made at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco at 10am local time (4am next Wednesday AEDT).

The invitations from Apple came with the tagline, “We still have a lot to cover”.

As usual Apple has been discreet about what to expect, but the rumour mill is churning.

Here’s a wrap up of what Apple fans are expecting:

iPad 5

Tech experts are predicting Apple will introduce the iPad 5, a slimmer version with the features of the first iPad mini which was released in 2012.

It’s also likely to have improved hardware, with an updated version of the current A7 processor.

Rumours suggest it will have an 8-megapixel camera rather than 5-megapixels and will come in white, silver and grey, with a few people thinking gold is also an option.

Fingerprint scanning technology is also on the cards.

iPad mini

The second generation iPad mini is likely to be a thicker size than the original to avoid battery problems, have a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera and a 7.9 inch display.

Other rumours

Thoughts are also circulating there could be new MacBook Pro computers, featuring a smaller 12-inch model. Currently, the Apple MacBooks online come in 13-inch and 15-inch displays.

Updates to the Mac Pro desktop and OS X 10.9 are also likely, with Apple potentially set to announce the availability of Maverick on the App store by October 24.

There could also be updates to the Apple TV set-top box hardware and media streaming device.