Apple May Launch iTunes 11 at Apple Special Event

At the Apple Special Event in San José, Apple might unveil iTunes 11, according to a French blog. If true, expect the new version of iTunes before the iPad Mini release date, which we believe will take place November 2.

Update: Apple did not announce iTunes 11 at the iPad Mini special event, but Apple did announce a number of new products. The iPad Mini arrives in WiFI and LTE models in November, and there is a new iPad 4th generation, complete with Sprint LTE. Apple also announced a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, a new Mac Mini and a new iMac.

Mashable reported that iGen.fr outed the rumor about the latest version of iTunes showing up along with the iPad Mini bringing compatibility for the new device. iTunes 11 will likely bring iBooks 3.0, which Apple will focus attention on as it tries to position the iPad Mini as a better choice than book-centric 7″ tablets like the Kindle Fire HD and the Google Nexus 7 Tablet.

Read: iPad Mini Features, Price and Release Date Announced

Apple showed off some of the new features of iTunes 11 at their iPhone 5 announcement. The news received a collective yawn from most observers since it offers few new features bringing more of an incremental update. The new version of iTunes will receive an interface update with a new edge to edge design. Click on an item like an album, video, or app and the new iTunes will open an information window much like they way iOS folders open. Collections of items in the store will show on a grid view.

While playing a song, users can minimize the new iTunes into a small box showing the album cover art and the current song. A drop-down menu will display the playlist context with upcoming songs listed below.

iTunes will include more information about artists, their music or the album the user’s viewing. When a user clicks on an artist or their album, a window will open showing more information and offering photos much like the old record album jackets used to offer.

iTunes 11 will include more iCloud integration. Users can start playing a song on a MacBook and thanks to iCloud synchronization, pick up where the person left off on an iPhone. Start watching a movie on an Apple TV and pause it. Later continue watching it on an iPad.

Expect more social media integration, which will allow users to share their favorite songs on Twitter and Facebook, replacing the defunct Ping.