Apple iPad rumor roundup: What we know so far

Hey, new Kindle Fire? Get ready for some competition.

A hot new rumor from the redoubtable Apple reporter John Paczkowski indicates that Apple is planning an event for Oct. 22, at which it is expected to announced its new line of iPads. Specifically, rumors suggest that the company will introduce a fifth-generation iPad, an iPad mini 2, a new iMac and a new Mac Pro at the Tuesday event.

So: What can you expect from those new iDevices? Well, with a special focus on the two updated tablets, here's what we're looking for on Oct. 22, based on all the leaks and gossip in the ever-active Apple rumor mill.

The new iPad 5 (or fifth generation) will look a whole lot more like a larger iPad mini, with the side bezels on the new iPad shrunk down quite a bit, reports BGR. That will be the big cosmetic change; and, according to The Wall Street Journal, though Apple's full-size tablet will feature the same 9.7-inch LCD Retina display as its predecessor, it should be lighter and a bit thinner, too, thanks to new in-screen technology.

As for the iPad mini 2, Reuters has reported that Apple also plans to add Retina displays, addressing a major perceived weakness of the first version of Apple's smaller iPad; shortages in component manufacturing, however, may delay the large-scale release. You know what means? Long lines and wait times for the new iPad mini when it is first available.

Videos and images of the alleged casing materials of the new iPad and iPad mini, courtesy of iPhone 5s and 5c rumor source Sonny Dickson, show that the color options may match some of the new iPhone 5s options, coming in space gray, gold and silver. And though there's been much speculation about whether the new iPads will come packed with Apple's Touch ID finger print sensor, the video below, from Unbox Therapy's Lewis Hilsenteger, shows that the new iPad casing he was able to get his hands on fits perfectly with the Touch ID component pulled from his iPhone 5s.

Apple's newest iPad has traditionally been shipped with the latest installment of its A-chip processor — iPad 2 debuted the A5, iPad 3 the A5X and the fourth generation iPad the A6X — but the iPad mini was introduced last year with the year-and-a-half-old A5. This time around, analysts say, Apple plans to bring all new devices up to speed with its 64-bit architecture, with either an A7 or A7X processor. Dickson has also tweeted that the iPad mini will ship with a 64-bit A7 processor.

The cameras on the new iPads may also get a spec bump, bringing them up to speed with the new iPhone 5s shooter, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. "We expect the upgrade will include 8MP rear camera, up from 5MP, and larger aperture. Lens module ASP will rise 10-20% on this optics spec upgrade," he said in a report obtained by 9to5Mac.

The purported Oct. 22 Apple event would fall on the same date as Microsoft's release of the new Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 tablets. Will you be out grabbing a Surface, or will you be waiting to see what Apple actually delivers before making your next tablet decision?