Apple iPad event coming 22 October

According to AllThingsD, Apple will be holding its separate iPad announcement event later this month.

Separate from its annual September iPhone event, Apple will be holding an invite-only event to debut the iPad 5, as well as OS X Mavericks and the new Mac Pro, on Tuesday, 22 October (PDT), AllThingsD has reported.

According to several leaks, the new iPad will be slimmer and lighter than the current generation, with a case form factor that's closer to that of the iPad Mini, and a "space-grey" colour variant. The new iPad is also expected to boast Apple's new 64-bit A7 chip, giving it a performance boost on a par with laptops. It's also a possibility that the iPad 5 will feature the new TouchID fingerprint sensor.

The iPad Mini is also expected to see an upgrade to the A7 chip, as well as Apple's Retina display.

AllThingsD's sources would not reveal the exact time or location of the event, and Apple has declined to comment.