Apple announces 8-inch iPad Mini

As expected the iPad mini has just been launched by Apple. Apple's Phil Schiller stated in a speech that this "isn't just a shrunken-down iPad, it's an entirely new design." At almost 8-inch the all new 7.9-inch iPad mini has a 1024 x 768 resolution, like the earlier-generation 9.7-inch iPad models, but is housed in an all-new 7.2mm-thick aluminum shell, the housing makes the product 53 percent lighter and a good chunk thinner than the 4th-generation iPad. Comparing the iPad mini against the Nexus 7, Phil points out that Apple's tablet is lighter and thinner than Google's slate in spite of having a display area that's a third larger. The Nexus 7 also has a bigger, plastic bezel around its screen whereas the iPad mini's bezel is made out of aluminum.

As the Verge reports the iPad mini comes with a dual-core Apple A5 processor, optional LTE, a 5-megapixel iSight camera, 802.11n Wi-Fi, the new Lightning connector, and a claimed 10-hour battery life. "It is every inch an iPad," summarizes Phil, as he introduces the price: $329 for the Wi-Fi 16GB model. Prices then go up by $100 for the 32GB and 64GB variants, and if you want LTE, it'll cost you at least $459. You'll be able to pre-order the iPad mini in black or white from this Friday, October 26th, and Apple will ship out its new tablet on November 2nd.