Major refresh coming next week by Apple

A plethora of new iPhone features, Siri for iPad, new MacBooks and 3D maps are just some of the predictions swirling around the rumour mill ahead of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference next week.

Apple's sassy virtual personal assistant, Siri, will reportedly make the move from iPhone to iPad, where she will be able to execute all commands except those relating to making calls.Siri for iPad is expected to take up a small portion of the screen, overlapping whatever app is open at the time rather than the full screen version on the iPhone, reports 9 to 5 Mac.It is not yet known if Siri will be available on all iPad models or just the most recent model, released to lacklustre reception earlier this year.

While the iPhone 5 – with a larger screen and thinner body – is not expected to launch until October, Apple will reportedly announce a new operating system for iPhone and iPad at the San Francisco event next week.

The software, iOS 6, is expected to include Facebook integration, in a similar way that Twitter is currently integrated into the iOS 5 operating system.9 to 5 Mac reports that Apple will redesign the apps for iTunes, iBooks and the App store itself. Following on from Facebook integration, the redesigned apps will be more "social", building on iTunes' 'Ping' feature, where users can view and interact with friends' purchases.It has also been speculated that the Google Maps app will be replaced with Apple's own maps app that will include 3D graphics.Features that have already been announced for Apple's new computer-based operating system, Mountain Lion, are also expected to appear in iOS 6, further signalling the convergence of the two platforms.

Mail VIPs will allow users to highlight important contacts from within the Apple Mail interface, a feature similar to Gmail's 'important' label.Also from Mountain Lion, the 'Do Not Disturb' feature will allow iPhone and iPad users to switch off all notifications temporarily to focus on one task without distraction.