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Apple to new unveil new iPads later this month

Apple will update its lineup of iPads at an October 22 event, a person with knowledge of the plans said, as the company works to remain ahead of rivals in the increasingly crowded tablet market.

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Apple will update its lineup of iPads at an October 22 event, a person with knowledge of the plans said, as the company works to remain ahead of rivals in the increasingly crowded tablet market.

The California-based company will unveil a new version of the original 9.7-inch iPad as well as the smaller iPad mini, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the plans haven't been made official. It will also make public its new Mac personal-computer operating system, called Mavericks, and Mac Pro PC.

The event, scheduled for a month after Apple debuted two new iPhone models, will feature changes to the bigger iPad that include a thinner design, people familiar with the company's plans said in August. A new iPad mini will sport the high-definition screen now on the iPhone and bigger iPads.

Trudy Muller, a spokeswoman for Apple, declined to comment.

In the absence of a new iPad, the tablet market shrank in the second quarter, suggesting pent-up demand for the new models. Global tablet unit sales fell 9.7 per cent to 45.1 million, with iPad shipments falling to 14.6 million units from 19.5 million in the first quarter, according to researcher IDC.

While Apple remains the market leader for tablets, which meld the functions of touch-screen smartphones and laptops, its share has been threatened as competitors such as Amazon, Samsung, and Microsoft introduce other models.

Apple's shares fell 1.4 per cent to U$480.94 at the close in New York on Tuesday, and have fallen 9.6 per cent this year.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Apple to new unveil new iPads later this month
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