In less than three days Apple will be hosting media personnel in California. It is rumored that at this event the company will announce their much awaited iPad Mini. This elusive 7.85 inch tablet has been in the news for over two years now. There is credible evidence that substantiates the existence of this device, but we have yet to hear about the iPad Mini from Apple itself.

A fresh rumor has started circulating these days. It is believed that Apple will unveil new iPad 3 at the media event on October 23, alongside the iPad Mini. As per the rumor there will be no substantial improvements, but we might see the new Lightening connector replacing the old 30 pin dock connector on Apple's signature tablet.

As things are at the moment, Apple really does not need to release a new iPad 3. The tablet has proved to be a big hit since it was launched back in March 2012. However rumor has it that the third generation iPad will be released again, this time with minor tweaks. These tweaks may include, and might not be limited to, the Lightening dock connector, optimized processor, larger battery, efficient display and possibly global LTE support.

It was previously rumored that Lightening dock connector will be rolled out to the entire lineup of iOS devices. Earlier this month Apple released the iPhone 5, iPod touch 5G and the seventh generation iPod Nano. They all have this new dock connector instead of the 30 pin one that has been there by default on all iOS devices, ever since the first iPhone came out in 2007. The Lightening dock connector is substantially smaller and thinner than its predecessor. It also happens to be reversible, which is quite convenient. If Apple is planning on releasing a new iPad 3, notwithstanding any of the other tweaks expected, this Lightening dock connector is definitely going to make the cut.

Apart from the new iPad 3, Apple is expected to also announce a number of other products. To me it does not make sense for Apple to release a tweaked version of iPad 3 merely four months before it is set to release iPad 4. Nevertheless, come October 23, we will know for sure.