Watch Apple Livestream iPad Event 2014: Link and What to Expect
Apple is holding an event on Thursday at 1p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT), where it will almost certainly unveil new iPads, the release date of OS X Yosemite, and a couple other possible new products. Here's what to expect, and where you can watch it live.
Since the much-anticipated iPhone 6 and Watch unveiling event was only weeks ago, don't expect the Apple iPad event to be quite as thrilling.
Apple is expected to mostly introduce incremental improvements to its iPad line in time for the holiday shopping season, along with announcing the release date of OS X Yosemite, which has been available for the public to preview for months. (Check out our walkthrough here.)
Still, for iPad fans, iMac lovers, and possibly the Apple TV-curious, the event might generate some exciting news.
iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3
The safest bet for this year's iPad event is that there will be an improved iPad Air and a third-generation iPad mini. That's because Apple accidentally (?) leaked some pictures and specs for these devices on Wednesday, one day before the event.
As first spotted by 9to5Mac, the leaked Apple iOS 8.1 iPad user guide indicates that there are not a lot of changes to the design of the Air and mini lineup, other than the inclusion of a iSight camera on the back of the mini and Touch ID sensors for both new models.
The new iPads will apparently also include Burst Mode photography. Other expected, yet unconfirmed, changes include a peppier A8X chip and a possible gold color option for the iPad Air 2.
OS X Yosemite Announcement
Most of the features of Yosemite are already known, as public beta testers have been using the system for a few months now. But one important tidbit of information still remains unknown: when Mac users can expect to get a chance to download the new, finished OS.
That -- plus some possible last-minute changes or improvements to the system -- is what you'll likely get, software-wise, from the iPad event.
Apple TV or More Waiting?
A new version of the Apple TV has been predicted for the last three Apple events, and each time Apple has failed to produce.
Now that Apple is reportedly working on streaming content deals with major media companies, it's once again a good possibility that Apple will put off any announcements about the Apple TV until the company feels it's ready for prime time (so to speak).
That would make it about two to three years (depending on how you count it) since the last Apple TV hardware upgrade though, so perhaps we could see a new Apple TV set-top box, while CEO Tim Cook remains mum on what kinds of content you might expect the device to play in the near future.
One other possible Apple TV announcement is the inclusion of HomeKit --Apple's nascent "smart home" software package -- within the set-top device.
iMac Retina
One final widely-predicted product launch for Thursday is the iMac with Retina screen. There's still disagreement over the exact specs the new iMacs might have -- and which iMacs might be getting the Retina screen -- but the iMacs are due for a refresh, and that's what we'll likely see.
Catch the Live Stream Yourself
If you want to watch and find out just exactly what Apple has up its sleeve for the late fall and early 2015, you can catch Apple's official live stream of the event here.
And be sure to follow us on Twitter @LatinPostTech for more updates and breakdowns like this!
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