The iPad mini was the last in the slew of product announcements Apple made on Tuesday, but it was clearly the most anticipated. The 7.2mm-thick tablet is 23 percent thinner than a full-sized iPad and weighs in at half the weight of its predecessor. The iPad mini sports the same 1024-by-768 resolution of the iPad 2, so that existing iPad-optimized apps will work on this new model.
The iPad mini starts at $329 for 16GB, with 32GB ($429) and 64GB ($529) configurations also available; adding cellular connectivity tacks on another $130 to the price tag. Apple will start taking pre-orders this Friday. The Wi-Fi versions of the iPad mini begin shipping on November 2; the cellular editions will start shipping "a couple of weeks" after that.
In addition to the iPad mini, Apple also introduced a fourth-generation of its full-sized iPad. The new tablets are powered by the A6X chip, which promises faster performance and better graphics. The front-facing camera has been upgraded to a FaceTime HD model, and a Lightning port replaces the 30-pin dock connector. Apple kept the prices on these iPads the same as the third-generation models it introduced just six months ago.
"We're not taking our foot off the gas," Apple CEO Tim Cook said.