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Screenshot by Shara Tibken/CNET
It’s time for Apple’s second “special event” of the season.
The company plans to host a launch on October 16 at its Cupertino, Calif., headquarters, most likely to show off its newest iPads and Macs. Apple also will talk about its computer operating system, called Mac OS X Yosemite, along with other possible announcements.
CNET will start things off with a live show at 8:45 a.m. PT featuring Brian Tong, Donald Bell, Sharon Profis and Stephen Beacham. They’ll respond to viewer calls, tweets and emails and feature live reports from Cupertino before handing it over to the writers on site. Apple’s presentation starts at 10 a.m. PT, and we’ll be bringing you all the news and commentary from inside the venue.
You can figure out what time the keynote will start in your timezone here.
CNET’s live blog of Apple’s iPad event
The event marks the second launch for Apple in little over a month. The company in September showed off its newest iPhones and its first wearable, the Apple Watch. CEO Tim Cook introduced the products during a splashy, star-studded event at the Flint Performing Arts Center, down the road from its headquarters. That venue, at De Anza College, was the same place former CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the first Macintosh computer in 1984, and guests such as band U2 helped Apple usher in its latest products.
This time around, Apple has opted to hold its event at its headquarters, a much smaller venue than those used for some other recent launches. The choice likely indicates just how big the news will be. In other words, this probably won’t be a blowout event like last month’s iPhone launch.
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Most analysts expect minor updates to the iPad — including the addition of the TouchID fingerprint reader and a gold variant — and refreshes to some models of Mac computers. Apple also likely will show off its Mac OS X Yosemite software for computers, which the company revealed at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Apple Pay, the company’s mobile payments service announced in September, could also make an appearance. The service goes live this month.
Apple’s invite said, “it’s been way too long,” which could indicate updates to products that haven’t been refreshed in years. A potential contender is Apple TV. Apple has continuously updated the streaming-media box with new apps and features, but it hasn’t overhauled the hardware design or software in more than two years. It also has been making a bigger push with home automation with its HomeKit platform, and Apple TV could play a role in that. There also have been reports that Apple’s working with pay-TV providers on making more live content available on Apple TV.
See also
- Apple’s iPad sales are not so magical after all
- Mac status report: More laptop and desktop upgrades still possible for 2014
- CNET’s take on the iPad Air
- With its debut smartwatch, Apple aims to make wearables fashionable
- Apple sets Oct. 16 event, with new iPad, Macs likely
Other products long overdue for an update include the Mac Mini, which hasn’t been refreshed for two years. And many people have been looking for a MacBook Air with Retina Display. Such high-definition screens made it into the pricier MacBook Pro line in 2012.
The most important announcements are likely to be related to the iPad. Apple’s tablet, first released in 2010, changed the computing market and spawned scores of copycat devices. Even Microsoft, Apple’s longtime rival in the PC market, produced a tablet, introducing the Surface in 2012. Since unveiling the iPad, Apple has dominated the tablet market, most recently ranking No. 1 with 27 percent tablet share globally. The iPad is Apple’s second-biggest moneymaker after the iPhone, with about 15 percent of total revenue coming from the tablet.
But the company now needs to find a way to revitalize iPad sales. Apple’s tablet hasn’t been selling as well as it used to. Sales of the iPad have declined year-over-year and fallen short of analyst expectations for two straight quarters. In the period ended June 28, Apple sold 13.3 million iPads, down 9 percent from the previous year and below the 14.4 million expected by analysts. Apple has attributed the weak iPad sales to a couple of factors — softer demand and an issue with the number of devices held in channel inventory (which means they’re either sitting in stores or on trucks).
Tune back to CNET for full coverage of Apple’s upcoming event.
Editor’s note: This story was originally published October 9 at 12:30 p.m. PT.
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