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» Apple unveils the iPad you can hold in one hand: New 7.9inch mini design will cost just £269 as computer giants square up for Xmas tablet 'bloodbath'
Revealed: The new 7.9inch iPad mini next to the full size 9.7inch iPad with Apple's Phil Schiller Apple has revealed a new smaller iPad mini with a 7.9inch screen that is set to blow away its rivals in the tablet market this Christmas. It will go on sale next week on November 2 and cost from £269 ($329) and the company hopes the ultra-competitive price will destroy its main rivals Amazon, Microsoft and Google. Experts predict the launch will result in a 'tablet bloodbath'.
Unveiling: Apple senior vice president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller introduces the new iPad mini during an Apple event in San Jose, California
The iPad mini was revealed by Apple's Phil Schiller at a special event in California, who said:'You can hold it in one hand, this isn't a shrunken down iPad, it's an entirely new design.'. 'iPad mini is as thin as a pencil and as light as a pad of paper, yet packs a fast A5 chip, FaceTime HD and 5 megapixel iSight cameras and ultrafast wireless―all while delivering up to 10 hours of battery life,' said Apple's Phil Schiller as he revealed the iPad mini. The new gadget will go up against Amazon's £129 ($199) Kindle Fire and Microsoft's larger 10.6inch £399 Surface tablet, both of which go on sale in the UK this week, prompting experts to predict a 'tablet bloodbath'. It will also compete directly with Google's £159 Nexus 7, a new version of which is expected to be unveiled later this week. The firm also revealed a new version of its larger iPad which has a 9.7inch screen, and now has a faster chip. Apple's British designer Sir Jonathan Ive said: 'The result is an extraordinary iPad that will be used in so many places in so many ways.' Apple boss Tim Cook took the stage at San Jose's California theatre to introduce Apple's latest blockbuster product. He promised 'We've got some really exciting things to show you', and revealed the firm has sold more than 3m of its new iPods and sold more than 200 million devices running iOS 6, the latest version of its mobile software. Cook also revealed Apple has now sold over 100m iPads around the world, saying 'people love their iPad. 'We couldn't be more thrilled by how quickly iPad has been embraced - but we know we are just getting started.' Apple's Phil Schiller also introduced the 4th Generation larger iPad with a new faster processor and support for 4G networks around the world. It will sell at the same price as the existing iPad. Experts say the launch could lead to a tablet war. 'It's going to be a tablet bloodbath this Christmas,' said Jason Jenkins, Editor of CNET UK. 'Apple has announced the iPad mini, a shrunk-down version of the iPad with a 7.9-inch display, which will compete directly with models from Google and Amazon.
'How important it is for Apple to win this one can be seen from the large amount of time it gave in its presentation to comparing it to Google's equivalent, the Nexus 7. 'That shows it's scared: there is a real chance one of its rivals could take its dominant tablet market share away.
The iPad mini also has a 'smart cover' which can automatically switch it on and off
The iPad Mini, at left, is shown next to the 4th Generation iPad in San Jose 'The iPad mini looks like it will probably be a great product, but at £70 more than the Google Nexus 7 and £110 more than the Amazon Kindle Fire, I'm not sure it's worth the extra money for the use you'll get out of it.' Matt Leeser, Head of Buying for Communications Technology at John Lewis, said: 'We’re excited by Apple’s decision to launch the iPad Mini as it is a significant step towards the proliferation of tablets as the market reaches lower price points and will join a range of very competitive tablet options now in that sector.
The new iPad mini which features a 7.9-inch (20 cm) multi-touch display, FaceTime HD, 5 megapixel iSight cameras and a 10 hour battery life. 'Last year Apple dominated the tablet market, but this year there is going to be a lot more choice available, including tablets from Samsung, Google, Amazon Kindle, and the Nook from Barnes & Noble. 'We’re also excited about the range of options Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system will bring to the market.'
Apple's Phil Schiller holds the new iPad Mini
The new iPad mini is shown next to a full sized model at an Apple event in San Jose, California October 23, 2012. The firm also completely revamped its Mac computer range with a new 13 inch Macbook laptop, a Mac Mini computer the size of several CD cases and a new thinner iMac desktop computer. Apple's Phil Schiller first introduced a new version of the firm's popular 13inch Macbook portable computer that is .75inch thick and has the firm's high resolution retina display. It will cost from £1449 ($1699 in the US), and is available from today. the firm also showed off a new version of the Mac mini, its small Mac the size of several CD cases which will cost from $599 in the US. The firm also revealed a new thinner version of its iMac desktop computer just 5mm thick, but dumps the optical drive found in previous versions (although Schiller said a separate drive was available 'for those stuck in the past')
The new iPad mini works in exactly the same way as both the iPhone and larger iPad.
A visitor looks over the new iPad mini
The back of the new iPad mini, which will be available in black and white
The new iPad will go on sale next week Interest in the new gadget has been huge - with monitoring firm Experian Hitwise saying 1 in every 6000 UK internet searches last week were for the iPad mini. Piper Jaffray technology analyst Gene Munster said in a note to investors that he expects the iPad mini to launch on 2 November. The firm believes Apple could sell 5 million iPad minis in the December quarter, but that will be at the expense of 1 million 9.7in iPads. 'For every 5 million smaller iPads, you lose 1 million standard iPads,' Munster wrote.
The Mini launch comes as research suggests a quarter of us - 22 per cent - own a tablet, with another three per cent regularly borrowing someone else's tablet for web browsing. About 68 per cent of the 9,5123 adults surveyed said they purchased their tablet within the last year. The U.S. survey by the Pew Research Center also suggests the flood of cheaper tablets, such as the Google Nexus or Amazon Fire, are weakening Apple's grip on the market.
The new iPad mini will be available in black and white
Apple's Phil Schiller reveals the iPad pricing for the US source: dailymail
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