Apple will have a new wave of iPads out in time for the holiday season. The slates are expected to take center stage at a special media event on October 22 according to people familiar with Apple's plans as reported by All Things D.

The fifth generation iPad is expected to feature a number of improvements including a thinner and lighter design that borrows from the iPad min. It'll likely arrive with Apple's new 64-bit A7 processor like the one found in the iPhone 5S. Elsewhere, we are hearing that the tablet will also include an improved rear camera.

The second coming of the iPad mini is widely expected to ship with a Retina display as well as the A7 chip. It's not known at this time if either new iPad will feature the Touch ID fingerprint sensor that's now shipping on the latest Apple flagship smartphone.

A location for the event wasn't provided. Last month's iPhone reveal was hosted at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino while last year's iPad mini and Mac showcase took place at the California Theater in San Jose. The publication notes the San Jose location is out of the question so that leave's the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco or Apple's campus.

The timing is worth pointing out as it will come a day after Microsoft's new Surface tablets start shipping and also happens to fall on the same day as Nokia's Innovation Reinvented event.