It's been four long, hard years since the last time Apple bestowed a new iPad mini on the public, and fans (including us) have been crying out for an update to the much-beloved range. Finally, Tim Cook has heard our pleas and released an all-new 5th-generation iPad mini.

Well, we say 'all-new' - in reality, there's actually not much that's changed about the new mini. It's visually identical, with only a handful of new features and a hardware refresh to distinguish itself from its predecessor.

So what has Apple changed, exactly, and does it make the new model a worthy investment if you've already got a functioning iPad mini 4?

Apple iPad mini 5 (2019) review: Design

Apple hasn't changed much about the new mini's design; it's still around 6mm thick, with a weight of just over 300g. In fact, aside from a very slightly sharper bevelled edge around the edge of the display, it's the exact same chassis as the old 4th-generation mini - and frankly, we couldn't be happier.

We'd forgotten how much we liked iPad mini form factor - no other 8in tablet has come close to the iPad Mini's blend of convenience and productivity. Apple's smallest tablet is, for our money, the perfect size and shape for a personal business device. The 8in screen is big enough to comfortably read dense text and view large images without feeling cramped, but it's still small enough that you can slip it in your bag or take it into a meeting without feeling like you're toting around the Rosetta Stone. Unbelievably, it's even small enough to slip into the pocket of our jeans - if only just.

It's also as gorgeous as ever, stamped with Apple's trademark minimalist style. It's still using the rounded edges of the classic design scheme, rather than the newer, more angular aesthetic favoured by the redesigned iPad Pro models but hey - if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Apple iPad mini 5 (2019) review: Display

The iPad mini's 7.9in display is also top quality, but if that's a surprise to you then you've probably been hiding under a rock for the past five years. Apple's Retina display (which in this case translates to a 2048 x 1536 resolution with a 326ppi density) is on peak form, and now includes support for Apple's True Tone display technology - a new addition since the mini's last outing.

The display's brightness has been bumped up to a blinding 513cd/m2, and we clocked coverage of the sRGB colour gamut at 91.3%. That's a very slight drop compared to the last model's score, but not enough to make a difference. If you wanted to create or proof colour-sensitive creative projects on the iPad mini, the display certainly isn't going to let you down.

Indeed, it's still an absolute joy to watch movies and other forms of video content on. Colours erupt out of the screen and, while contrast leaves a little to be desired, it still delivers a captivating experience. The Retina resolution also means that even fine-print text is still perfectly readable, so editing documents and reports is equally pleasant.

Apple iPad mini 5 (2019) review: Hardware and performance

While the display improvements are welcome, they're not a huge leap forward compared to the mini 4. The same, however, cannot be said of the performance. This is where Apple has put some serious effort into upgrading the new device, fitting it with a dual-core A12 Bionic processor - the same chip that powers the mighty iPhone Xs Max. It's also sporting 3GB of RAM - in other words, triple the memory of the previous machine.

So have these changes made much difference? In short, yes. When we ran it through the GeekBench 4 CPU tests, the new mini proved almost 200% faster than its predecessor for single-core tasks, and more than 300% better for multi-core tasks, with scores of 4,814 and 11,551, respectively.

To put that into context, that's noticeably quicker than both the Google Pixel Slate and - even more impressively - Apple's own MacBook Air, released mere months ago, and let's not forget that both of those devices used Intel Core processors. Admittedly, they use less powerful Y-Series chips, but still, Apple should be rightly proud of itself - the new iPad Mini can comfortably beat the pants off all comers when it comes to raw speed.

Whether all of this power is necessary, though, is a different question. Currently, there's not much outside of 3D games that can really stretch the iPad to its full potential. Unless you're wading through seriously hardcore spreadsheets or absolutely hammering it with multi-tasking, there's likely not going to be much that stretches the mini in day-to-day life. That being said, however, we think the iPad mini is powerful enough to run Adobe Photoshop - if, that is, the company ever deigns to release a full version of the software for iPads.

Apple iPad mini 5 (2019) review: Battery

We hope you haven't thrown out all those old chargers after the iPad Pro moved to USB-C, because the mini is still very much on board the Lightning bandwagon. It's not surprising, given that it's using basically the same chassis as the previous generation, but it's still a little disappointing. The inclusion of USB-C with the new Pro felt like a genuine step towards progress for Apple, whereas this feels like a return to its worst closed-ecosystem instincts.

Sadly, the battery life itself didn't set our world on fire, either. Once again, this isn't surprising, and it's likely the result of sticking with the same chassis design. If, as we suspect, Apple has used the same battery as the mini 4, then the new tablet will have to drive a much more powerful processor using the same battery capacity.

With that in mind, a score of 8hrs 21mins in our battery benchmarks is rather credible, considering the performance gains on show. While that score is just shy of two and a half hours less than its predecessor, it's still enough to get you through a full day - although you may have to be somewhat frugal with your usage.

Apple iPad mini 5 (2019) review: Features

Speaking of usage, the iPad mini is now more suited than ever to work tasks, thanks to the improvements made to recent iterations of iOS. Apple has made all kinds of improvements to the iPad's software since the mini 4 launched in 2015, but the most significant are the inclusion of a desktop-style dock and the ability to have multiple apps open on screen at once.

Although the iPad's smaller screen size means that the split-screen feature isn't quite as useful as it is on the larger iPad Pro, the support for multiple apps is still incredibly handy. For example, as we type this, we're also using iOS' 'slide over' feature to keep an eye on our Slack notifications. The dock is more useful still, allowing you to switch between your most commonly used applications with a single swipe, rather than constantly having to use the app switcher or go back to the home screen.

The big new addition for this latest iPad, however, is support for the Apple Pencil. Unfortunately, it's only compatible with the older 1st-gen stylus, rather than the swish new model which debuted last year alongside the redesigned iPad Pro. The newer model uses wireless charging (which may well be why it's not supported), but the old one still has to be awkwardly plugged in to the iPad itself in order to charge. It also lacks the capacitive function button that was introduced with the 2nd-generation Pencil, which feels like a slight step backwards.

On the other hand, the Apple Pencil still offers an outstanding writing and drawing experience for those that prefer that kind of input. It obviously feels a little more cramped than any previous iPad has when writing on it, but the responsiveness and pressure-sensitivity is still excellent. One complaint we did have with it, however, was that it got distinctly hot while we were drawing with it - to the point where we actually had to put it aside to cool down for a minute before we started using it again.

One feature that the mini is crying out for - and which we gladly would have taken over Pencil support - is support for a iPad Pro-style Smart Keyboard. As it stands, you'll have to use a third-party keyboard case which, while doable, gives the mini's main rival the Microsoft Surface Go a pretty hefty advantage over it.

Apple iPad mini 5 (2019) review: Verdict

The new 5th-generation iPad mini, then, is pretty much the definition of a mixed bag; on the one hand, the performance improvements are absolutely staggering compared to the previous generation, and the addition of Apple Pencil support will please note-takers, sketchers and digital artists alike.

On the other hand, aside from a couple of neat features like the True Tone display, that's really all it has going for it. The battery life is slightly worse than its predecessor, and there's not really any extra features worth mentioning.

So where does this leave us?

Well, if you have a fourth-gen iPad mini that's still in good condition, there's no real reason to upgrade, unless you're burning to use the Apple Pencil with an 8in tablet. You're unlikely to be feeling any serious pinch in terms of processing power, and that's the only other reason to trade up.

In any other case, however, the new iPad mini is an absolute must-have. Sure, it doesn't do much differently to its forebears, but it doesn't need to - the iPad mini 4 was basically the perfect tablet, with a portable, convenient size mixed with a stunning display and excellent internals.

At £400, the price isn't to be sniffed at (especially given that the larger standard iPad is cheaper and also supports the Pencil) but it's worth the money for the added portability of the mini. It really is hard to overstate how much we love it as a device category. If you're in the market for a do-it-all tablet, make no mistake - this is the one to buy.

Apple iPad mini 5 (2019) specifications

Despite being launched nearly five years ago, the iPad Air and iPad Mini 2 are well worth considering if you're looking for a cheaper and more entry-level alternative to the beefy iPad Pro 10.5, or 2017's widely-acclaimed Apple iPad.

Indeed while the latest iPad is available for upwards of 289.99, these legacy models can be snapped up for up to 100 less - depending, of course, on where you shop, and which model you decide to pick up.

Despite boasting a reasonable price tag, these models clearly don't come packaged with the best technical specs available in the tablet market today. But they're good enough to perform the simplest of tasks - and will often come packaged with enough features to prove themselves an asset.

Both the iPad Air and the iPad Mini 2 are still solid options, and below we've rounded up the specs and features fitted into both devices to help you decide which model is best for your needs. These include the following:

DisplayBattery Life Hardware/Connectivity/ReparabilitySoftware/AppsPricingVerdict

Beyond that we've included comparisons with the older iPad Mini, as well as its latest iteration the iPad Mini 4, to give you a flavour of how Apple's hardware compares to its younger and older counterparts. If you have a bit more cash at your disposal, meanwhile, we've also included comparisons with the two iPad Airs available.

Display

The iPad Air has a 9.7-inch screen whereas the iPad Mini 2 sports a smaller 7.9in screen, and both have the same 4:3 ratio. The Air used to be the largest model available before the newer iPad Pro 10.5in and 12.9in models were introduced recently.

If you're viewing media such as TV shows, films or playing some games then the iPad Air's bigger screen is obviously the better option, even though the iPad Mini 2 has the same number of pixels in its smaller screen.

The latter is also the lighter option with the device's weighing 314g. Its bigger brother weighing in at 478g, although the thickness of both devices is the same, packing a 7.5mm chassis.

Thanks to Apple's Retina Display technology you won't be able to see any pixels when holding them at arm's length. The Air has a resolution of 2048x1536 and a pixel density of 224ppi. The iPad Mini 2 has the same resolution, it's just spread across a smaller area, giving it a denser 324ppi.

When it comes to brightness and contrast ratio the iPad Air (below) has the edge. The maximum brightness is 410cd/m2 and its contrast ratio is 1,000:1.

The smaller iPad Mini 2 (below) measured a maximum brightness of 396cd/m2 and a contrast ratio of 729:1.

The best choice when it comes to the two displays has a lot to do with your size preference. Do you want a portable device to fit into a large coat pocket, or do you want the biggest possible screen?

Winner - iPad Air - The Air is technically the superior display with higher brightness and contrast ratio.

Battery Life

iPads have always performed well in battery tests, and the iPad Air and iPad Mini 2 are no exceptions. The Air has an 8,837 mAh battery, whereas the Mini 2 has 6471 mAh battery to power its smaller 7.9-inch display.

Apple's website claims the devices have a 10-hour battery life for Wi-Fi browsing or video playback. We ran both devices through our Iron Man video playback test, with Wi-Fi turned off and the brightness set to 75 per cent. The two devices actually managed to surpass Apple's battery life claims.

Of course, you'll be looking at battery life closer to the 10-hour mark with Wi-Fi turned on, but this is still impressive.

Winner - iPad Air - Both tablets have exceptional battery life but the Air shaded it in our test.

Hardware, connectivity & reparability

The fifth-generation iPad and second-generation iPad Mini are neck-and-neck in terms of hardware. Both use a dual-core A7 1.3 GHz chip, which supports 64-bit apps and is paired with 1GB of RAM.

The entry-level models start with 16GB of internal storage and both offer up to 128GB of internal storage.

The iPad Air and iPad Mini 2 also have the same connectivity options. Both ship with minimal ports, with a Lightning connector on the bottom of the device, to transfer media and charge the device and a headphone jack at the top. There's no way of expanding the physical storage, however, so you'll have to choose carefully when you're buying.

The iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina share the same 5-megapixel iSight rear cameras, with a front-facing 1.2-megapixel snapper for FaceTime calling.

Wireless connectivity is also identical, with Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4 and 4G support included. Both iPads have the same sensors too a three-axis gyro, accelerometer and ambient light sensor.

iPads are notoriously difficult when it comes to user repair. Both the iPad Air and iPad Mini 2 received an abysmal reparability score of 2/10 from teardown site iFixit. That means that if you ever need to replace a damaged screen or ailing battery, then it's best to get it done professionally or risk damaging vital components and connectors.

Winner Tie

Software and apps

Software support for both devices is expected to be extended for a number of years to come, with Apple's 2011 iPad 2 receiving the iOS 7.1 update when it was released.

The iPads come with access to Apple's App Store and iTunes ecosystem, which boast the largest collection of tablet-specific apps, music, TV shows and films for you to enjoy.

Winner - Tie

Pricing

The iPad Air starts at 399 for the 16GB Wi-Fi-only model, with the price jumping by 80 every time you bump the storage up a level. The iPad Mini starts at 319 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only edition. Like the Air, each additional storage tier adds another 80 to the price.

Winner - iPad Mini 2 is the cheaper option, as it's smaller.

Verdict

The iPad Mini 2 and the iPad Air are pretty evenly matched in key areas such as their OS, software, hardware, connectivity and reparability.

The larger iPad Air has a higher brightness and contrast ratio with its display, and we also measured a longer battery life. The iPad Mini 2, on the other hand, is the smaller and cheaper option.

The Mini is still a wide device, however, and so isn't as adapt to fitting into jacket pockets as easily as something like the Nexus 7.

It's a tough choice but, based on the brightness and contrast ratio and slightly longer battery life, we'd have to go with the iPad Air.

This article was first published on 12/03/14 and has been updated multiple times (most recently on 21/07/14) to reflect new information that has become available since its original publication.

Despite lasting only a year on the shelves, the iPad Mini 3's short lifespan did teach Apple one thing: customers want substantial changes to their devices, and not small incremental updates.

Apart from the TouchID fingerprint sensor, the iPad Mini 3 offered very little in the way of change, reflected in the fact that you can no longer buy it new, with only refurbished or second hand ones still available.

The iPad Mini 4, however, was an entirely different beast. It delivered an almost identical feature set to that of the 9.7in iPad, which naturally bumped its price up a tad, but still remained significantly cheaper than the larger model.

So is the iPad Mini 4 something you should consider buying, or should you save some cash and buy a perfectly capable second-hand iPad Mini 3? We pitted to two tablets against each other to see whether newer really is better.

Price

More than any other factor, price is probably your biggest consideration if you're weighing up Apple's iPad Mini 4 and iPad Mini 3.

The major differences between the iPad Mini 4 and 3 are internal - as you'll soon see - so spending a bit more will make a difference.

Apple decided to do away with the 32GB and 64GB models of the iPad Mini 4 in March 2017, meaning only the 128GB model is available. The company also dropped the price drastically so you'll pay the same as you did for the 32GB iteration, just with four times as much storage.

From the Apple Store, or selected retailers, the 128GB Wi-Fi model costs 419 and 549 for models featuring Wi-Fi and cellular.

Secondhand 16GB Wi-Fi models of the iPad Mini 3 sell for half the price, at around 200-250 online depending on where you find them.

Weight and casing

The iPad Mini 3 is 7.5mm thick, whereas the Mini 4 is noticeably thinner, matching the iPad Air 2 at 6.1mm. Unfortunately this slender profile means the Mini 4 lacks the hardware switch found on the Mini 3, which lets you mute the device or lock a screen orientation.

Yet this does mean the Mini 4 is a little lighter at 299g for the WiFi only version, compared to 331g of the Mini 3.

Sadly, the colour selection is rather limited for both devices, which are only available in white, grey or gold.

Screen and wireless

The iPad Mini 3 and 4 share almost identical screens 7.9-inch with a 2048x1536 pixel resolution and 326ppi pixel density. As with the colour of the casing, the biggest surprise is what's missing the pressure sensitive 3D Touch technology remains the preserve of the iPhone 6s with no sign of it on Apple's mini tablet.

There are bigger differences when it comes to wireless connectivity, although these won't impact a lot of people at least in the UK. Unlike the 802.11n Mini 3, the Mini 4 now supports 802.11ac. Apple hasn't stated what speed of 802.11ac is supported, but it's unlikely to be the 867Mbit/s speed given the limited amount of space for aerials in the casing. In any case, you'd have to be streaming or copying something truly massive to take advantage of that speed anyway.

The 4G-enabled variant of the iPad Mini 4 also supports more LTE bands than the iPad Mini 3 so it should work at 4G speeds in more countries worldwide. Unless you live or frequently visit one of the very few areas not previously supported by Apple's LTE band selection, though, this isn't that big of a deal.

Processor

The biggest difference between the iPad Mini 3 and Mini 4, besides the casing, is the processor. The iPad Mini 4 eschews the 1.3GHz Apple A7 dual-core chip of its predecessor in favour of an A8 processor.

Apple hasn't stated whether it's triple-core like the A8X found in the iPad Air 2. Cupertino is also mum on whether memory stays at 1GB or has been boosted to 2GB to match the Air 2. We strongly suspect that the iPad Mini 4 has an almost identical processor and memory to Apple's current flagship 10-inch tablet.

Battery life and camera

According to Apple's specifications, there's no difference in battery life between the iPad Mini 4 and 3 both are rated for 10 hours of internet usage.

There is a difference when it comes to the camera, though. The five-megapixel shooter with an f2.4 aperture on the iPad Mini 3 has been superseded by an eight-megapixel camera with a wider f2.2 aperture in the iPad Mini 4. Although the new camera is still rather elderly by modern standards it's effectively the same camera first introduced in 2012's iPhone 5. Still, for a tablet camera, it's a worthy upgrade on paper.

In all, the iPad Mini 4 offers refinement and improves upon Apple's compact tablet in ways that make a far better model than its immediate predecessor.

This article was first published on 10/09/2016. It was updated most recently on 20/06/2017, to reflect new information.

Apple and Google may be fierce competitors in the tablet market, but the two companies have taken very different approaches with their latest mini tablets. While the Nexus 9 uses a completely new design from the previous Nexus 7, the iPad Mini 3 is merely an updated version of the iPad Mini 2. The Mini 3 is in fact so similar to its predecessor, which is still on sale, that you could easily confuse the two.

TouchID fingerprint sensor

The Mini 3's biggest new feature is its fingerprint sensor. Just like the one on recent iPhones and 10in iPads, it lets you use your fingers to unlock the tablet instead of a passcode. You can also use your fingerprints in place of a passcode in apps and to authorise purchases which is very convenient, especially if you're bad at remembering passcodes. The fingerprint reader worked flawlessly and instantly, almost every time.

Casing and battery life

Surprisingly, that's it as new features go. In some ways this isn't a bad thing. The slender and lightweight yet rigid and robust metal casing is unchanged, with the exception of a new gold colour option in addition to the existing grey and white variants. Its exceptional build quality puts the flimsy plastic chassis of the Nexus 9 to shame. The battery lasted a lengthy 11 hours when playing videos on a loop - a lengthy score that's only one hour behind that of the Nexus 9.

Display

While the 8in display is still as dazzlingly bright and as sharp as ever thanks to its high resolution of 2048x1536 pixels, colour accuracy is a little off. This flaw also affected the Mini 2 and while most people won't notice it unless they have very sharp eyes or edit lots of photos, it's still a shame that Apple didn't take this opportunity to fix it.

Processing power

We're also a little disappointed to see that Apple has left the 1.3GHz A7 dual core processor and 1GB of memory in place. While this pairing still makes the Mini 3 one of the fastest mini tablets available, the A8X triple core processor and 2GB of memory in the Air 2 make that tablet even faster so it's baffling that Apple didn't choose to fit them in here too.

Conclusions

Despite the minimal changes over its predecessor, the iPad Mini 3 is still a very good tablet. The problem is that the iPad Mini 2 is still available and the 16GB model costs 239 which is 80 less than the equivalent Mini 3 - a real bargain. Unless you're terrible at remembering passcodes, or don't even bother to use one at all due to the perceived inconvenience involved, it's not worth paying the extra money for the Mini 3 and its fingerprint reader. The only other reason to opt for the Mini 3 over the Mini 2 is if you need lots of built-in storage. The Mini 3 is available in 16, 64 and 128GB versions, while the Mini 2 is only available in 16 and 32GB variants.

Update:Although the now-discontinued iPad Mini 3 is still in stock at some retailers, it's not worth buying. Apple still stocks the otherwise-identical TouchID-less iPad Mini 2 at a lower price. If you have a little more cash, the latest iPad Mini 4 is far faster while the screen has much better image quality.

This review was originally published on 13 November 2014 and has since been updated, most recently on 18/5/2016.

Verdict

While the iPad Mini 3 is a fine device on its own merits, it's virtually identical to its predecessor - whilst being simultaneously more expensive.

The iPhone 6's popularity has been cited as the reason why sales of Apple's iPad mini have begun to struggle of late in a new report.

The larger iPhone phablet' could negatively impact the stagnating sales of Apple's smallest iPad, says Forbes, with Apple's overall global tablet market share falling from 29 per cent to 23 per cent year-over-year.

The overall tablet market has been slowing for some time, with growth in 2014 estimated at 12.1 per cent compared to 51.8 per cent in 2013.

The popularity of the iPhone 6 Plus could further "cannibalise" sales of the 7.9-inch iPad mini, given its large screen size and comparatively affordable price tag.

Forbes' Trefis Team says: "While the mini is still likely to prove popular with customers who seek an affordable, easy-to-use tablet with a comfortable viewing experience (130 per cent more area than the iPhone 6 Plus), the one-device-fits-all proposition of the iPhone 6 Plus is likely to hurt sales.

"We believe that an iPhone 6 Plus customer will be less inclined to purchase an iPad mini, given that the iPhone 6 Plus provides a good balance in terms of functionality, screen size and portability."

This week, Gartner predicted that tablet sales will grow eight per cent in 2015, with research director Ranjit Atwal attributing the tablet market's troubles to a lack of hardware innovation.

"The collapse of the tablet market in 2014 was alarming. The steep drop can be explained by several factors," he said. "One is that the lifetime of tablets is being extended they are shared out amongst family members and software upgrades, especially for iOS devices keeping the tablets current.

"Another factor includes the lack of innovation in hardware which refrains consumers from upgrading."

Apple's next-generation 9.7-inch iPad release may have its RAM enhanced to 2GB, rumours have suggested, though the second-generation iPad mini will not enjoy a similar boost.

The iPad Air currently ships with just 1GB of RAM, which pales in comparison to the average Android tablet at 2GB, but Apple is obviously keen to address this problem with its next tablet release.

The second-generation iPad mini, however, will not receive a similar upgrade and will maintain 1GB RAM, it has been reported.

The enhanced tablet specifications make sense when considering what Apple has planned for iOS 8, with split-screen functionality and more requiring the iPad Air 2 to work a little harder.

This will push it up to the same level as the Nexus 7, though there are still plenty of Android tablets going even higher at 3GB or 4GB of RAM.

Apple devices, however, are designed in a way that uses the RAM more efficiently, and thus iPads don't need as much to run as well.

The rumours, if true, could relate back to recent reports suggesting iPad sales are set to continue falling over the next few years.

Additional speculation has pointed towards the iPad Air 2 also introducing the Touch ID home button featured on the iPhone 5s.

It is unknown when reports regarding the next-generation iPads will be confirmed, but it's possible this could happen at Apple's 9 September event, when the iPhone 6 is expected to be announced.

Apple has announced the iPad mini 2, which features the much sought after Retina Display and Apple's flagship A7 processor.

The iPad mini 2 will begin shipping in November and pricing for the 16GB Wi-Fi edition starts at 319. But does the iOS 7 tablet pack enough upgrades to challenge the Nexus 7 (2013)? We break down the specifications of the two devices to see which offers the best value.

There is little to differentiate the devices in terms of app selection, wireless connectivity and battery life as well. The most striking difference comes in the storage department as the iPad is available with up to 128GB of on-board memory.

Update: 16/5/14

The price of the Nexus 7 (16GB) has dropped to 160, whereas the iPad mini with Retina Display still starts at 319. This indicates that a mid-year refresh is imminent.

New iPads are rolled out towards the end of the calendar year, which explains the lack of price drop at this time.

The inclusion of Retina Display in the iPad mini 2 has pushed up the price to 319, and this makes it 120 more than the equivalant Nexus 7 device. However, when it comes down to pixels-per-inch there is barely anything to separate the the two devices. See the full specs breakdown below:

At Apple's top secret launch event the iPad Air, a new iPad mini and a refresh of the consumer electronics giant's MacBook Pro range were all announced.

Over the past few months, the IT Pro team have compiled a wishlist of features they'd like to see included on the second coming of the iPad Mini and the iPad Air, so why not take a look at our predictions and see what (if anything) we got right.

We also covered the events of the entire launch day with this live blog, so have a read through and see what went on.

7:27pm - So that's it. Apple introduced the iPad Air, the next generation of its flagship larger tablet, which will ship on 1 November. It also announced the iPad Mini with retina display, much to the delight of many, and that looks set for release towards the end of next month.

OS X Mavericks will ship today for free, and so will iWork. There's also new MacBook Pros. While we try to make sense of all this, here's what the analysts and market watchers had to say about tonight's announcements.

7.23pm - And that's a wrap, with Cook rounding off proceedings by hailing Apple's ability to innovate.

"These amazing products are great examples of the type of innovation that only Apple can deliver," he added.

"Other companies would be incredibly proud to just have one of these products."

7.21pm - The new 16GB iPad mini is available in Silver and Black, and also boasts a 5MP camera.

Pricing for the new iPad mini starts at $399 with Wi-Fi and increases to $529 for people with mobile data.

The previous generation is getting a stay of execution, and will retail at $299.

New smart covers are in the offing too.

7.17pm - Now it's time to talk about the iPad mini. There's a new one coming, folks! And this time it's got Retina display and the A7 chip. Four times faster CPU, eight times faster graphics and 10 hours of battery life. Very impressive for something so small.

7.16pm - iPad Air is going to replace the previous version of the iPad, with pricing starting at $499 for the16GB device.

7.12pm. Time to talk tech. The iPad Air is Powered by an A7 chip, the same one powering the iPhone 5S. Graphic performance has received a boost and so has CPU performance.

"You're going to feel that across so many of the things you use," said Schiller.

Opening files will be faster, Wi-Fi performance has been improved. There's a 5MP iSight camera, and 10 hour battery life.

It's available in silver, white, space grey and black.

7.11pm. It's the lightest full-size tablet in the world, according to Schiller, weighing in at just a 1lb.

7:10pm - Here's something new. Introducing the iPad Air! The bezel is 43 per cent smaller than the previous version, making it more comfortable to hold.

"To make an iPad this thin, took a huge amount of work over years," said Schiller.

"Thinner, lighter and more powerful than ever before," said Schiller, about the new iPad. I'm getting a bit of Deja Vu.

7:08pm -Phil Schiller's back now. Talking about iPad history/momentum. "Today, we think we're taking the biggest step yet...and we really want to show it to you." And we'd like to see it.

7:05pm - This is just the beginning for the iPad, reckons Cook. After three years and a half years on sale, that's a bold claim.

7.04pm - Another video now showing all the various use cases people have found for iPads, featuring a cross section of users spanning the emergency services, racing car drivers and sports teams.

7:02pm 475,000 apps on the App Store and they're being custom designed for iPad. "No one else is close to this," said Cooks.

Apple's not just blowing up smartphone apps and whacking it on an iPad, claims Cook.

7pm - It's iPad time. 170 million iPad sold earlier this month, reveals Cook. It's an incredible number, he said. Yes, Tim. Yes, it is.

"iPad is used more than the rest. Not just a little more. A lot more. It's used four times more than the other tablets put together," Cook said.

"When you make a tablet with a great experience, this is how you know."

6:59pm - We've covered the iWork for iCloud integration quite a bit in the past, but Apple's bringing new collaboration features to the software, which - again - is going to be a tick in the box for CIOs who want to embrace BYOD and enterprise social in their organisations.

You can download all this today too, and guess what? It's free!

"When you combine this [with free Mavericks], we're turning the industry on its ear. This isn't why we're doing it. We want our customers to get access to best new software," said Cook.

6.55pm - Oh, iWork. Now this is more like it. It's been treated to its biggest update ever and has been completely re-written for Mac, making it compatible across iOS and Mac devices. Got a brand new interface too. Looks very fresh and clean.

iOS version has some new tweaks, too. They include new content sensitive keyboards.

Numbers and Keynote revamped too. Office productivity obviously becoming increasingly important to Apple, which bodes well for CIOs and business users looking to embrace an Apple-centric BYOD strategy.

6.46pm - Demonstrations going on now of iMovie and Garageband. We know IT pros like to kick back from time to time, but this isn't really one for us.

6.45pm - News so far: Apple confirms OS X Mavericks will be available today as a free download, and announces release of refreshed MacBook Pros.

6.39pm - The refreshed MacBook Pro line-up has impressed the analysts.

6.35pm - Mac Pro news now. C'mon, Phil, impress us. The device has reportedly received a performance boost, and reportedly packs "an incredible amount of power into one-eighth the volume of the previous model," claimed Schiller.

This is made possible by the inclusion of Xeon E5 with up to 12 cores and two AMD FirePro GPUs, apparently.

The new system will set you back $2,999 and will be available to buy before the end of the year.

6.30pm -Now on to the 15in. Pricing starts at $1999, which is down from $2,199. In return, you get the promise of 8 hours battery life.

The 13in one is receiving a nip and tuck to make it thinner and lighter. Now weighs in at just over three pounds and is just 0.71in thick (or thin). It's got a Haswell chip and should provide nine hours of battery life. Starting price of $1,299, which is $200 cheaper than before.

6.25pm -More interesting, though. Mavericks is being given away for free. "What's more important to us is seeing Mavericks in as many hands as possible," explains Federighi.

Not only is it free, it's also available to download now. Hurrah.

"Whether you have our latest release or you're a complete laggard and you're still on Snow Leopard, you can update."

6.18pm - Some of these features we know quite a bit about, as they were announced by Apple at WWDC...You can find out a bit more about what's included in Mavericks here. Happy to help!

6.16pm -Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering is here now. He's talking us through the updates to Apple's Mac OS X operating system, Mavericks. "This one's a doozy," he reckons.

The software has been completely revamped to help give users a better (and longer) web browsing experience when using the MacBook Air.

The new Compressed Memory feature has caught our attention. It compresses inactive parts of memory and can (reportedly) fit 6GB of data in 4GB of RAM.

6.12pm - The competition are having to play catch up (and so is this IT journalist, as our live feed keeps cutting out). "They chased after netbooks. Now they're trying to make PCs into tablets and tablets into PCs. Who knows what they'll do next?"

6.10pm - Cook's onto iOS 7 momentum stuff now. "Customers love the bold new redesign," Cook declares. 200 million people downloaded it within five days of its launch and it's claimed 2/3s of Apple devices are now running it. "This blows away the other guys."

6.05 pm -Meanwhile, some eagle eyed attendees claim to have spotted some iMacs being set up on stage. Was anyone expecting updates to that? We weren't. Interesting.

Cook says seeing people's response to Apple products makes everything worthwhile. That and the money people spend on them, we presume.

6.04pm - Time for some numbers. And they're impressive ones, we have to admit. Nine million iPhones sold at the end of the first weekend. It's the "BIGGEST iPHONE LAUNCH" ever, the sign behind Cook claims.

6.03pm - He's promising us "amazing products" that could only have been made by Apple. That's a relief.

6pm - And...we're...off. Tim Cook's smiling, which is a good sign.

5.55pm - Not long to go now. Journalists and analysts are all taking their seats. And, reassuringly, they all seem to be discussing the weather.

5.30pm - Just 30 minutes to go

As we enter the last 30 minutes until the Apple Special Event starts, Apple CEO Tim Cook has assured his Twitter followers he's raring to go.

In the meantime, the IT Pro team is using the next half an hour to neck some caffeine in preparation for what promises to be a monster set of announcements from Apple. Stay tuned!

5pm - IT Pros hedge their bets on Apple's announcements

With the keynote scheduled to start within the hour, we asked the rest of the IT Pro team for their predictions about what they think (and hope) will be announced tonight.

First up is IT Pro tech editor, Khidr Suleman, who will be on hand tonight to give readers a comprehensive rundown of the new devices and their specs, while sharing his thoughts on how they compare to the competition's wares.

Suleman said he's more excited about the prospect of a new iPad mini than an updated version of the firm's larger tablet.

"Apple's reportedly had problems sourcing a Retina Display for the smaller tablet and there were rumours a launch would be delayed until 2014. However, I wouldn't bet against Apple finding a way to resolve the problem and shipping the devices in the coming weeks," said IT Pro's resident tech guru.

"We're also expecting Apple to confirm the release date for OS X Mavericks, add to the Mac Pro range and possibly refresh Apple TV. Even without any iWatch announcements, it's going to be a busy night!"

And he's not wrong there.

IT Pro/Cloud Pro staff writer Jane McCallion (perhaps unsurprisingly) said she's hoping to hear some more about Apple's cloud plans, in light of its recent iCloud updates and the arrival of its iWork for iCloud offering.

"While I have dainty little hands, there are plenty of people who struggle to type using the touch screen [on iPad devices], so some improvements to the on screen keyboard would be a bonus," offered McCallion, who'll be covering the news from tonight's event.

"While multi-colour offerings don't bother me too much, I'd be interested to see if Apple follows through by re-introducing different 'flavours' of devices, like with the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S."

And that, as they say, is that. Thank you, Team IT Pro.

4pm - Word on the tweet

The phrase "iPad" has been trending off and on all day on Twitter, so - as our countdown to the launch event continues - we thought we'd have a quick dig about the social networking site to see what the general consensus is about tonight's keynote. Read on below for some of our favourite tweets of the day.

2.30pm - Apple Store goes offline and live stream confirmed

The Apple Store has been taken offline, as it always is ahead of a big product launch. Not long now, folks.

Meanwhile, it's been confirmed that today's event WILL be streamed live at Apple.com at 6pm GMT, so you can watch along with the rest of the IT Pro team. So, that will be fun.

2pm - Leaked details about a possible Gold iPad 5

Would you be convinced to buy a new iPad if it was available to buy in a range of colours? We only ask because rumours suggest Apple could be planning to follow the lead of the iPhone 5S and showcase a more colourful tablet tonight.

The iPhone 5S is available in Space Grey, Gold and Silver, and images and videos have already started to leak online that allegedly show iPad 5-like devices in similar hues.

The IT Pro jury is still out on whether a Gold iPad is really something business users would be interested in, although a Space Grey coloured one might prove more popular in corporate environments.

However, given Apple has reportedly had to step up production of the Gold iPhone 5S in recent weeks because of how high demand is for it, we wouldn't bet against a similar shade of iPad proving a hit with tablet buyers at this stage.

1pm - Will they/won't they live stream tonight's keynote?

According to a report on the Mac Rumours site, tonight's keynote is being streamed live to Apple TV users. So, you know, hurrah for them.

This has prompted suggestions the company might be planning to stream the event live to others, via its Apple Events page, but it's not confirmed.

The consumer electronics giant didn't provide a live feed for last month's iPhone 5S launch, but it did upload a playback shortly after.

Once we know more, we'll let you know.

12.00 Noon - What would you like to see?

As is usually the case with Apple launches, the IT Pro inbox has been flooded with comments from presumptious industry watchers about whether they think the firm's latest gizmo will be a success.

Today is no exception, but there have been a couple that raised some interesting issues about how the continued march of the iPad (and the Microsoft Surface 2) into businesses could spell disaster for IT departments.

That's the view of Interoute CTO, Matthew Finnie, who claims CIOs lose a little more control of the users they're supposed to be looking after with each iteration of the iPad, and the technology inside them gets increasingly smarter.

"The smarter Apple and Microsoft make their devices, the more choice it gives people and the more they bring with that when they come to work. Businesses need to capitalise on this consumer-driven innovation and education take the free training as a bonus and apply it to take advantage of tablet aware users," said Finnie.

"It isn't just the innovation on the device it is also the innovation in the app store. Consumers are getting used to self-service IT...Apps that can be downloaded, sparked up and used without an army of suited and booted consultants sounds a whole lot easier than the months of cost and requirements that the traditional enterprise app rollout entailed."

A few of the comments IT Pro has received also suggest the inclusion of Touch ID, Apple's fingerprint biometric security scanner that made its debut on the iPhone 5S, would also give the device an edge over the competition when it comes to winning over the enterprise.

So, that's definitely a feature we're hoping to see Cook and Co. announce tonight...

Microsoft is planning to expand its range of Surface tablets later this year to include a 7-inch device, it has been claimed.

The rumoured extension of Microsoft's tablet family was reported by the Wall Street Journal, who claim to have spoken to several sources "familiar" with the company's plans.

The arrival of a 7-inch Surface would firmly pit the software giant against rivals Google, Amazon and Apple who have all released smaller tablets over the past year.

One of the sources quoted in the article cited the success of the Google Nexus 7, Amazon Kindle Fire HD and Apple iPad Mini as the reason why Microsoft is now planning to add a smaller device to its its product line-up too.

To add weight to this claim, the source said "7-inch tablets weren't part of the company's strategy last year".

The release of a 7-inch Surface could help lift overall sales for Microsoft's own-brand tablet devices, which have been reportedly slow to date because of supply constraints and high costs.

The 32 GB version of the Microsoft Surface RT sold out in the UK within a week of its pre-order release last year. Despite this, industry estimates suggest the firm sold less than a million Surface tablets during the device's launch quarter.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer admitted last November that sales of the first round of Surface devices had got off to a "modest" start, because they were only available to buy from launch via the Microsoft online store and a select few retail outlets.

Meanwhile, UK business buyers remain in the dark about when they can expect to get their hands on the Microsoft Surface Pro, despite the vendor promising several weeks ago that it would be coming to these shores soon.

The launch of the Apple iPad Mini at the end of 2012 has caused sales of the firm's larger 9.7in device to slump, according to LCD analyst DisplaySearch.

The firm, citing data from its monthly LCD market tracker, claims the introduction of Apple's 7.9in tablet in October 2012 caused a marked uptick in smaller tablet PC panel shipments during the first month of this year.

According to a research note on the market watcher's blog, shipments of 9.7in tablet PC panels have "collapsed" from 7.4 million to 1.3 million between December '12 and January '13.

Meanwhile, sales of 7-8in tablet panels have increased from 12 million to 14 million over the same time period also.

"The launch of the iPad Mini has been seen as an acknowledgement by Apple that smaller size tablet PCs would become a larger part of the market than larger sizes (9.7 in and 10.1 in)," the blog post stated.

"[Our research] indicates that in the first month of 2013, tablet PC panel shipments shifted dramatically toward smaller screen sizes...and may be an indicator [of where the market is going] for 2013."

Apple's decision to launch a smaller version of its popular tablet device was greeted with surprise by many, given the firm's late CEO Steve Jobs famously rubbished the notion of a 7in tablet, claiming users would need to file down their fingers to use the smaller screen.

But, according to DisplaySearch, the consumer electronics giant's change of tact has paid off.

The research note claims Apple hoped to sell 40 million iPad Minis and 60 million full-sized iPads in 2013.

"The reality seems to be the reverse, as the iPad Mini has been more popular than the iPad," the post stated.

"We now understand that Apple may be planning to sell 55 million iPad Minis and 33 million iPads in 2013," it added.

Overall, the analyst predicts tablet PC panel shipments will hit 254 million this year, up from 160 million in 2012, with screens in the five-to-nine inch range accounting for the bulk of the units shipped.

However, it then goes on to warn, as smartphone sizes increase and sustaining the low price point of smaller tablets gets harder, this could harm future sales of 7in devices.

"Until now, seven to nine inch tablet PC purchases are mainly due to the comparatively lower price point...this is not a long-term solution for brands," the research note stated.

"With upgrades in resolution, function and product design, can [smaller] tablet PCs move to a more premium positioning, targeting users willing to pay a premium for a high-end product even if it smaller?"

Apple, Amazon and Google are all vying to offer the best tablet experience.

The devices range between 7-7.9ins and have a starting price of 159. Check out the infographic below for all the key features to help you make up your mind, before making that all important purchasing decision.

If Apple wanted to lay down the gauntlet to its rival IT manufacturers, its latest product launch could not have been much better.

The consumer electronics giant announced new iMacs, a new laptop, new Mac Minis and two new iPads.

But it is the smallest and cheapest of these tablet devices, the streamline the number of devices they give staff. Without simple voice calling on the iPad, is Apple missing out?

Stephen Pritchard is a contributing editor at IT Pro.

Things got interesting at the Apple launch event when Phil Schiller, VP of marketing at Apple decided to fire some verbal shots at Google.

It seemed as if Shiller was following instructions written by Steve Jobs, as the VP took every chance he could to take pot shots at Android, which he dubbed "the other platform". Although he did stop short of going thermonuclear on Android, the message was clear - Apple is still ahead.

During the unveiling of the iPad mini, Schiller couldn't resist rubbing in Apple's success.

"Others have tried to make tablets smaller than the iPad and failed miserably. They're not great experiences," he said.

After reeling off a few specs about the iPad mini, and soaking up the inevitable applause, he proceeded to contrast 7.9in device directly against the Google Nexus 7, which to-date may be the best pound-for-pound tablet on the market.

Apple increasingly looks like a cyclist who made an early breakaway in the Tour de France, whereas Google is leading the pelaton, hunting down its prey, eager to gobble it up.

Schiller made some valid factual points during his brief comparison. The iPad mini is "thinner and lighter" than the Nexus, despite being bigger. The display on mini has a surface area which is 35 per cent larger and it has 275,000 apps specifically designed use on the 7.9in screen.

The iPad doesn't just use "phone applications stretched up", he added.

Of course Schiller neglected to compare Apple Maps with Google Maps, skipped Apple's shunning of industry standards such as micro-USB ports and micro SD card slots, and of course made no mention of the price difference between the devices (110).

So what's the big deal about the Google-bashing? Well Schiller could have just inadvertently set off a chain of events which is likely to come back and bite Apple right in the you-know-what.

Google is having a bad month, there's no doubt. Trading of shares had to be suspended when poor Q3 results leaked out and revealed net income dropped by 20 per cent. But make no mistake, having a flagship product shown as being "inferior" at a competitor's press conference is likely to have irked Google employees just as much.

And that's good because it's just the wake up call Googlers need. People throughout the company ranging from engineers to executives are likely to have gone in to work today, talked about Schiller's performance, and got back to work to silence him.

It's not all bad news for Google either. Sure Apple has sold iPads by the bucket load - 100 million to be specific - but each refresh leaves you thinking "is that it?", rather than "wow, I need that in my life".

Case in point, the announcement of the 4th generation iPad was surprising, not because it was kept secret, but because it was premature. It's barely been seven months since the iPad 3 was launched and the upgrades to the latest device including the new A6 processor, faster LTE and the introduction of the Lightning connector simply aren't must have upgrades.

The pricing of the iPad mini is also baffling - 269 is expensive for an entry level device, especially when competing products are starting at 159. Sales figures for the mini will reveal just how tight Apple's grip in the tablet market is.

Cupertino increasingly reminds me of a cyclist who made an early breakaway in the Tour de France, catching everyone off guard. Whereas Google is leading the pelaton, hunting down its prey, eager to gobble it up.

Microsoft is finally entering the tablet market too, and Amazon which is also at the forefront of this chasing pack has already proved that people are willing to buy tablets other than just the iPad. The online retailer has done this by offering users access to a vast ecosystem of books, musics, TV shows and movies to accompany the device.

It's the ecosystem which Google needs to work on the most to attract tablet users. The Nexus 7 is a great device, but the Google Play Store is sorely lacking when it comes to multimedia content, especially in the UK. It wouldn't harm to beef up security either, but Google doesn't need me to tell it that.

For now Apple may have the advantage, but we imagine Larry Page sitting in his office stroking a cat whilst meticulously detailing a seven point plan for revenge. It's not a question of if Google will strike back, but when. The tablet war has only just begun.

Industry watchers claim Apple should have no problem making its mark in the 7in tablet market, despite launching the iPad Mini several months after similar devices from Google and Amazon.

The consumer electronics giant finally unveiled the iPad Mini,following months of speculation, at an event in San Jose yesterday evening.

As reported by IT Pro yesterday evening, the new 7.9in device is 4G enabled and is powered by the Apple A5 chip, which is the same one the iPhone 4S runs on. It is also 7.2mm thick and weighs in at 308g.

It is definitely a market they should be playing in already.

During the product's launch event, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller, went to great lengths to point out how much better the device was to view web pages on than the Google Nexus 7, which made its debut in July.

"Others have tried to make tablets smaller than the iPad and failed miserably...They're not great experiences," said Schiller.

Speaking to IT Pro ahead of last night's launch, Rob Bamforth, service director at Quocirca, said 7in devices are better suited to consuming content than creating it because it can be difficult to input data on them.

Because of this, he correctly predicted Apple would use the event to focus on why its new form factor is better for consuming content than the other 7in devices on the market.

"They would not admit to following other [vendors] with the size of the device, which means the focus will be on why their form factor is a better one for certain usage scenarios," explained Bamforth.

He also suggested that Apple's relatively late entry into 7in tablet space could leave them vulnerable to attack from rivals who may accuse the firm, which prides itself on being a tech innovator, of following the crowd.

After all, late Apple CEO Steve Jobs, previously rubbished the idea of releasing a 7in iPad because of concerns over the tablet app user experience.

"The challenge for Apple is that they're at the top of the pile [in the tablet market] and that means they are the one everyone wants to have a pop at," said Bamforth.

"That makes them far more vulnerable and also means customers have an incredibly overinflated expectation about everything they do."

Meanwhile, an Apple supply chain source, who spoke to IT Pro on condition of anonymity, said based on the feedback received from the firm's retail operations a smaller iPad should prove popular with customers.

"There's definitely demand for [a smaller tablet], which has been proven by the sales success of the other products on the market [Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire HD]," said our source.

"A lot of older customers want a smaller device to read and consume content on, whereas younger customers favour larger devices because it is easier to do more stuff with."

However, the starting price of 269 for the iPad Mini could put off some users, our source added.

"It is definitely a market they should be playing in [already] and it will sell well, but a [starting] 199-to-249 price point would be ideal."

Mobile market context

According to figures released by IT market watcher Context, sales of 7in tablets have skyrocketed over the past six months, with 10,000 units sold during the second quarter rising to 220,000 in the three months to September.

Salman Chaudhry, mobile computing analyst at Context, said the spike in sales was down to the success of the Nexus 7 and Samsung Galaxy P3110, as well as RIM's decision to cut the price of its 7in Playbook tablet.

We expect the iPad Mini to take revenue away from Amazon.

"Across Western Europe and prior to Google's and Samsung's launches this summer, the market share of 7in tablets was around 7 per cent in June. This skyrocketed to 36 per cent in September," said Chaudhry.

The launch of the iPad Mini should be a cause of concern for the other runners and riders in the tablet market, particularly Amazon.

"We expect it to take revenue away from Amazon, as [it will be] much more of a content consumption device than its siblings," he said.

"We expect to see Apple take sales away from the Kindle family of devices and the Kindle app itself, as Apple will be marketing the tablet as an iBook, iTunes consumption device."

So the worst kept Apple secret, since at least the iPhone 5, has finally been unveiled in the form of the iPad mini.

Seen as a cross between an iPhone 4S and iPad 2, the iPad mini is being launched to coincide with the release of Windows 8, and is likely to attract users who may have found existing iPad devices too expensive.

Although cheaper than its larger siblings, the iPad mini isn't as cheap as its Android rivals such as the Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire HD. The iOS 6 device comes with a starting price of 269, making it 110 more expensive. So what exactly do you get for your money?

Display and dimensions

The majority of specifications had been leaked prior to launch, including the name. However, Apple managed to keep everyone guessing about the key feature - the display.

Apple chose a 7.9in screen size, but refrained from using a Retina Display to keep the costs down for the first generation. Instead the iPad Mini packs a 1,024 x 768 resolution and has a pixel density of 168ppi.

Apple has confirmed that all 275,000 iPad specific apps will work on the mini as the aspect ratio has been unchanged.

Despite having a screen size which is 0.9ins larger than the Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire HD, the iPad Mini is considerably lighter. The iOS device weighs in at 308g, compared to 340g for the Nexus and a beefy 395g for the Fire HD.

In terms of dimensions, the iPad mini has a thickness of 7.2mm, which Apple is touting as comparable to a pencil.

Processor

The iPad mini is powered by an A5 dual-core 1GHz processor, putting it up there with its rivals. RAM is unconfirmed, but is expected to be between 512MB and 1GB. With internals similar if not identical to the iPad 2, and there should be no issues in terms of performance.

Storage

Apple offers the usual internal storage options of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. The firm backs this up with iCloud, which means you get 5GB of free cloud storage and can purchase more as and when required.

Connectivity

The iPad mini has dual-band Wi-Fi capabilities, Bluetooth 4.0 and assisted GPS. There is also the option to get an LTE (4G) model if you need to use the internet on the move. This will require a nano-SIM, and at present you'll be restricted to using the EE network for 4G.

Ports

There are no micro-USB ports or memory card slots available. The iPad mini is the latest Apple device to be shifted over to the new proprietary Lightning connector - so if you want to use it with existing peripherals you will need to purchase an adopter, which costs 25.

Cameras

Asus and Amazon only included front facing cameras on the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD devices to keep the cost down to 159.

However, Apple has not held back in this area, providing front and rear facing cameras. On the front is camera capable of taking 1.2-megapixel snaps and 720p HD video.

There is a 5-megapixel snapper on the rear with key features such as autofocus, face detection and the ability to record in 1080p.

Software

The iPad mini ships with iOS 6 as standard which means you get access to Apple's vast ecosystem - made up of the App Store (275,000 apps) and iTunes, which houses millions of songs, as well as thousands of TV shows and films.

The tablet will ship with Apple specific apps including Safari, FaceTime, Siri and unfortunately Apple Maps as well.

Battery

Despite having a smaller screen, the iPad mini offers the same level of battery life as its bigger brothers. Apple touts up to 10 hours when using Wi-Fi to surf the web, watch video or listening to music.

Pricing and availability

The iPad mini is 110 more than competitors such as Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire HD. Pricing for the iPad mini is as follows:

16GB Wi-Fi only - 269

32GB Wi-Fi only - 349

64Gb Wi-Fi only - 429

16GB Wi-Fi + LTE - 369

32GB Wi-Fi + LTE - 449

64GB Wi-Fi + LTE - 529

Users can pre-order devices from Friday 26 October, and the Wi-Fi models will be available in Apple Stores from Friday 2 November.

Apple has unveiled two new additions to the iPad family, including a 7.9in tablet and an updated version of its flagship 9.7in tablet.

The consumer electronics giant ended months of speculation by finally taking the wraps off a 7.9in tablet called the iPad Mini.

The new device is powered by an Apple A5 chip, is 7.2mm thick, weighs in at 0.68lbs and can achieve 10 hours of battery life.

Others have tried to make tablets smaller than the iPad and failed miserably.

As predicted by several industry watchers, the tablet does not sport Retina Display, but does boast a screen resolution (1024x768) that is comparable to the iPad 2.

Speaking at the product's grand unveiling in San Jose earlier today, Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, wasted no time in trying to distance the iPad Mini from the raft of other 7in tablets that have recently come on the market, namely the Google Nexus 7.

During the event, Schiller pitted the two products against each other, in an attempt to highlight the Google device's shortcomings, taking shots at its weight, thickness and web page viewing experience.

"Others have tried to make tablets smaller than the iPad and failed miserably...They're not great experiences," he said.

"We have over 700,000 apps [for all devices]...[users] love the ones written for the iPad...they have phone applications [that have been] stretched up."

Prices for the iPad Mini will start at 269 for the 16GB, Wi-Fi only device. It is also available as 32GB (349) and 64GB (429) version, too.

IT Pro's Khidr Suleman says:

The iPad mini packs a 7.9in display, A5 dual-core processor, FaceTime HD and LTE connectivity. Despite the 269 price being nearly double that of the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD, the Apple branding and ecosystem is likely to make it a hit this Christmas.

A 16GB version with Wi-Fi and Cellular will put you back 369, while the 32GB model will cost 449 and the 64GB one 529.

The vendor also used the event to take the wraps off a new fourth generation iPad, which is being ushered in just six months after the previous version.

The iPad 4 is powered by an A6X chip, which Apple claims will provide users with faster performance, updated Facetime HD, enhanced Wi-Fi performance and improved graphic power.

Schiller's fighting talk continued during his walkthrough of the device, with him declaring: "[This puts us] so far ahead of the competitionI can't even see them in the rear view mirror."

Pricing for the device starts at 399 for the 16GB, Wi-Fi only device, and increases to 479 and 559 for the 32GB and 64GB versions, respectively.

End users that plump for the Wi-Fi and cellular versions of the device can expect to pay 100 more for the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models.

During the opening preamble to the devices' unveiling, Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed that over 100 million iPads have been sold since the first generation of the device went on sale in early 2010.

He also claimed that 200 million devices are now running the firm's iOS 6 operating system.

"This is the fastest upgrade rate in history that we are aware off," he added.

The company also used the event to showcase a couple of new addition to its laptop and desktop computer range, including a new 13in MacBook Pro with Retina Display and a new iMac.

The former is powered by a dual core i5 or i7 Intel Ivy Bridge processor and boasts a seven hour battery life, claims Apple.

"It joins the 15in [MacBook Pro] as the only two notebooks in the industry with retina display," added Schiller.

The iMac is 5mm thick around the edge and is encased in an all-in-one aluminium enclosure. It is reportedly 45 per cent thinner than the previous generation, as well as being 8lbs lighter, and is available as a 27in or 21.5in device.

Making its debut on the device is Apple Fusion Drive, which combines 128GB of Flash storage with a hard disk drive.

"All of the pre-installed Mac software sits on Flash [and] automatically, as you're using it, it'll work out what you use most and move it to Flash," said Schiller.

To mark the close of the event, Apple's Cook paid homage to the effort the firm's development team has put in to allow the vendor to roll out so many products, including the iPad 3, iPhone 5 and the MacBook Pros, already this year.

"This has been a truly prolific year of innovation for Apple. We hope you love these products as much as we liked creating them," Cook concluded.

Consumer electronics giant Apple looks set to call time on production of the iPad 2, supply chain sources have suggested to IT Pro.

The device is being canned to make way for the rollout of a smaller iPad, which Apple is expected to debut at a launch event later today, it has been claimed.

Speaking to IT Pro under condition of anonymity, our source said: "We have been told that the iPad 2 is definitely being discontinued and being replaced by the iPad Mini, and that the current version of the [9.7in] iPad will be replaced by a new variant as well."

The iPad 2 is definitely being discontinued and being replaced by the iPad Mini.

Many retailers have been struggling to get hold of iPad 2 stock for several weeks, which is usually a sign that production is being wound up.

"We had one pallet in today, but we used to get six or seven pallets in at a time," the source added.

The iPad 2 was launched in March 2011, and proved popular with consumers and business users and is reported to have clocked up sales of 2.6 million units within its first three months on sale.

According to other supply chain sources, the device has continued to sell well, despite being superseded by the launch of the iPad 3 in March 2012.

"In the retail environment, all people want is the iPad 2 because people love the iPad, but they want a cheaper version of it," another source added.

"Business users seem to go for iPad 3 because they want the higher quality product, but the iPad 2 has been a big hit with education and retail customers on a budget."

Speaking to IT Pro, Rob Bamforth, service director at analyst Quocirca, said it would be worthwhile for Apple to keep making the device and retain it as an all-purpose tablet.

"It would be worth having a premium product, which would be the iPad 3, and maintain the iPad 2 as a workhorse-type device and then position the iPad Mini as an entry-level tablet," he said.

"But, with this smaller device coming in, at a potentially lower price, maybe it is felt that it would undermine the reason for having the iPad 2," he added.

IT Pro was awaiting a response from Apple at the time of publication.

Consumer electronics giant Apple is expected to welcome a new member to the iPad family later today.

The rumoured device, dubbed the iPad Mini, is expected to sport a 7.85in display and would make a curious addition to the vendor's product family, given late Apple CEO Steve Jobs' thoughts on 7in tablets.

During an earnings call two years ago, transcribed here by Seeking Alpha, Jobs said 7in devices were not big enough to provide "great tablet apps" and joked that users would need to file down their fingers with sandpaper to use them properly.

Each new iOS mobile device has debuted with a non-retina display.

"Given that all tablet users will already have a smartphone in their pockets, giving up precious display area to fit a tablet in our pockets is clearly the wrong trade-off," he added.

"The seven-inch tablets are tweeners', too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with an iPad."

In the two years since Jobs spoke out about the limitations of smaller devices, Apple rivals Google and Amazon have both released 7in tablets (the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD, respectively) to much acclaim.

This probably goes some way to explaining why Apple may (or may not) have decided to join the 7in tablet bandwagon.

In the lead up to today's launch event, speculation about the price and features of the rumoured device has been rife. Here, we take a look at some of the most hotly tipped specs.

Name

Daring Fireball writer (and noted Apple blogger) John Gruber has suggested the name iPad Air could be a contender, because the device is likely to be thinner and lighter than the other products in Apple's tablet range.

"[The name]Mini' just doesn't feel like the right way to describe something that's remarkably thinner and lighter but not that much smaller than the regular iPad," he added.

Screen

Meanwhile, Gruber said last week that, unlike the iPad 3 and later versions of the iPhone, he does not think a smaller iPad would feature retina display.

"Each new iOS mobile device has debuted with a non-retina display, and then gone retina two or three years later," he pointed out in a blog post.

Gruber said he expects the major selling points of the device to be its "thinness, weight, and price", and including a retina display would make it "thicker, heavier, and more expensive."

Tech specs

It is also widely tipped to feature front and rear facing cameras and a Lightning dock connector port.

Meanwhile, numerous and contradictory reports have also suggested it might be a Wi-Fi only device or could possibly boast 4G connectivity.

Price

claims a screenshot

"How could Apple accidentally update the iPad from' price to a wrong one? It's probably because they [had] planned on announcing the iPad Air in September and this price got stuck on one the website content templates that activated on the 12th September," he surmised.

Consumer electronics giant Apple is expected to unveil a smaller version of the iPad on 23 October, sources have indicated.

Wall Street market watchers predicted months ago that Apple was planning a smaller and cheaper version of the device, a move that analysts say might hurt the vendor's margins, but would prevent its rivals from dominating an increasingly important computing segment.

The source did not specify what the product would be and an Apple spokesman declined to comment. However, tech blog AllThingsD reported on Friday that Apple would launch the mini iPad at the event. The device is expected by many experts to have a screen size of seven to eight inches.

The 7.85-inch iPad Mini fit our hands like a glove.

A smaller iPad will directly compete with Amazon's Kindle Fire HD tablet and Google's Nexus 7. Both devices have 7-inch screens and sell for $199. The first Kindle Fire, launched last year, grabbed about a fifth of the US. tablet market.

The Nexus 7 has also seen a successful start, with the tablet selling out soon after launch.

One Wall Street analyst claims to have seen the smaller tablet, dubbed iPad mini by the media, while visiting component suppliers in Asia.

"We actually had the opportunity to play with a pilot iPad Mini used by one of the vendors," Topeka Capital analyst Brian White said. "This 7.85-inch iPad Mini fit our hands like a glove and we were easily able to tuck the device in our sport coat, offering consumers a more mobile iPad experience for certain use cases."

Small risk

A mini version of the iPad marks a departure for the company that now has just one 9.7-inch iPad, although it does come with various storage options and starts at $499.

Late Apple founder Steve Jobs famously derided the 7-inch screen as unwieldy for tablet applications, saying the devices should come with sandpaper so that users can file down their fingers to use them.

But an internal email revealed during the patent trial showed that internet chief Eddy Cue argued there was a market for a 7-inch tablet and that Apple should have one. The email, sent in early 2011 to top Apple executives, said Jobs had warmed up to the idea.

Struggling Silicon Valley technology icon HP was among the first to show, albeit unwittingly, that there was indeed a healthy market for cheap tablets. Sales of the TouchPad took off after the company slashed the price to $99 from $399 and $499 after deciding to kill the product.

Apple is planning to expand its all-conquering iPad family by launching a 7-inch tablet later this month, according to sources cited by one of the firm's major investors.

In a report on business news site Forbes, the consumer electronics giant is said to be planning to send out invites to the launch for the rumoured iPad Mini on 10 October, with its grand unveiling expected to take place on 17 October.

The site claims the information has been passed to it by a "major Apple investor" who has had it confirmed by multiple sources.

It then goes on to speculate that, based on Apple's past history of announcing launch events, that the device is likely to go on sale in early November, just in time for the Christmas rush.

Not everyone can afford a basic iPad, and its total addressable market is limited.

The Apple rumour mill has been churning out speculation about the iPad Mini for several months, with reports predicting the device will sport a 7.85-inch display and a 1,024 x 768 screen resolution.

This is the second time an October launch date has been talked about for the device, although some industry watchers expected the firm to unveil the iPad Mini at the same time as the iPhone 5 last month.

If the Forbes report turns out to be true, a smaller version of the Apple iPad is likely to pitted against the raft of 7-inch tablets that have recently hit the market, including the Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire HD.

Stephen Rosenman, financial analyst at stock market tracking website Seeking Alpha, said a smaller, less expensive Apple device would fly off the shelves.

In a post on Seeking Alpha, he said: "The basic iPad sells for a pricey $499 - not everyone can afford one. As a result, its total addressable market is limited.

"During its last first quarter, Apple sold 15 million iPads. With a Mini, Cupertino could triple that number this quarter," he added.

Apple will launch a smaller version of its successful iPad in October, according to a report from All Things Digital.

The tablet, dubbed the iPad Mini, is expected to be launched separately to the new iPhone 5, which is slated for arrival in September. The publication cited several sources confirming the information.

The iPad Mini will be pitted against rivals Google Nexus 7 and Amazon's Kindle Fire, and is expected to boast a sub-eight inch screen size.

Having two launch events before November will be important to Apple as it gears up for the holiday season.

Meanwhile, Japanese technology website Macotakara claimed it had also confirmed, from other sources, the name and that the tablet would be launched separately from the iPhone 5.

The Japanese report cited a "mysterious hole" next to the iSight camera, which could be used to fit an NFC module.

According to Apple technology blogger, John Gruber, it would make more sense to have both devices unveiled at different times as the company would not want to divert attention away from an iPhone 5 release.

"The iPhone is too big, too cool, and garners too much attention and it's in Apple's interest to keep that attention undiluted," said Gruber.

The dual announcements could also take the wind out of the sails of Microsoft and Nokia, who are preparing to launch Windows Phone 8 and a raft of smartphones in early September.