Is a new iPad already in development?

Over the last week, there have been rumblings that the date of first of Apple's annual fall/winter press events has been set for September 9. The belief is that it will focus on iOS 8 and the iPhone. So where does this put the iPad, which is also ready for an update?

According to an article from Bloomberg, Apple has started manufacturing the latest versions of its popular tablet. Citing "people with knowledge of the matter," the article mentioned that a new full-sized model (9.7-inch screen) is already in the works and a new version of the iPad mini (7.9-inch screen) is also entering production. Both should be available by the end of the year, in time for the holiday shopping season.

Over the last few quarters, iPad sales have been facing a slight decline, so how the company chooses to upgrade them will be interesting. There is belief that the "phablet market" — tablets that can be converted into laptops — is starting to take a bite out of iPad sales.

Apple CEO Tim Cook is on record talking about the declining iPad sales and he told the Wall Street Journal that "this isn't something that worries us." This is because the company has launched a new direction that focuses on the enterprise — the partnership with IBM is a major part of this.

The next few months will feature a number of announcements from Apple. Companies that use Mac integration would be wise to partner with an Apple support service to make sure they are ready to deploy any new devices and services properly.