Apple announces fourth generation iPad, iPad Mini
Apple announced the iPad Mini Tuesday at the California Theater in San Jose, Calif. The highly-anticipated tablet computer is a smaller, cheaper version of the tech giant's popular iPad, and a fourth generation iPad.
Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook started off the event saying, ""We have some very fond memories here, and we're going to create a few more today."
But first, Apple senior vice president Phil Shiller took the stage to introduce a fourth generation iPad.
"It is a power house," Shiller said.
The fourth generation iPad features an A6X processor, 5 megapixel iSight camera, expanded LTE chipset, front-facing camera with FaceTime and 720p video capture, faster Wi-Fi, and Lightening connector. The new iPad is priced at $499 for a 16 GB model, $629 for a 16 GB model with 4G LTE.
Shiller also introduced an iPad mini. The smaller iPad is 7.2 millimeters thick, 0.63 pounds, comes in white and slate black. The iPad mini's screen is 7.9-inches at 1,024 x 768 display resolution.
Apple launched the original iPad in April 2010. The iPad has since dominated the 9-inch tablet market, with a reported 70 percent market share. Cook reported tat there over 100 million iPads have been sold.
The iPad mini starts at $329 for a 16GB Wi-Fi only model, $429 for a 32 GB model and $529 for a 64 GB model.The Wi-Fi only models will ship on Nov. 2. The iPad mini models with Wi-Fi and 4G starts at $459 for 16GB, $559 for 32GB, and $659 for 64GB, and is available on Nov. 16.
Fourth generation iPad Wi-Fi only model will be available for pre-order on Friday, Oct. 26, and will hit stores on Nov. 2.
The iPad Mini launch ends years of speculation that Apple was considering launching a new, smaller version of its bestselling iPad range. In 2010, late founder Steve Jobs described 7in tablets as being "too small".
However, the company's apparent change of heart comes in the face of mounting pressure from its closest competitors, who already offer smaller - and crucially, cheaper - products.
In the UK, both Amazon's new 7in Kindle Fire HD and Google's Nexus 7 cost £159.
During the presentation, Mr Schiller stressed the importance of being able to hold the device in one hand - a nod to the more travel-friendly appeal of the smaller devices.
However, Adam Leach, principal analyst at Ovum, said he had expected the iPad Mini to be more competitively priced.
"We got a mix of a bit of new Apple and bit of old Apple in the same announcement. This is new for Apple to be responding to competitors instead of pioneering their own way. It's old Apple as they've gone into this market with a premium pricing strategy. At the moment this doesn't place a lot of pressure on the Kindle Fire or the Nexus 7."
He added that the iPad Mini was an indicator that Apple might be nervous about losing its control over a market which it has dominated in recent years.
During the nineties, Apple found itself outpaced in the home computer market by Microsoft and Windows-powered computers - a period of the company's history it will be conscious to avoid repeating.
"The popularity of the Kindle e-reader and the Android smartphones made consumers aware of Amazon content and Google services," said Francisco Jeronimo, research manager at consultants IDC.
"The low price points of the Google Nexus 7 and the Amazon Kindle Fire have been attracting consumers looking for more affordable devices that also come with the content and services they already use or want."
But he added: "This new product from Apple will disrupt the market again. The iPad Mini is now the new category killer."
The other iPad Mini wi-fi-only models will have a recommended retail price of £349 for 32GB and £429 for 64GB.
The devices supporting 3G and 4G data connections would be released "a couple of weeks" later, the company said. They will be priced at £369 for 16GB, £449 for 32GB and £529 for 64GB.
'Kick in the face'
Paddy Smith, online editor for Stuff.tv, said some Apple users might see the iPad upgrade as a "kick in the face" as the previous model was just seven months old.
Apple also announced a lower-key upgrade for the full-sized iPad. Calling it the "fourth generation" iPad, Mr Schiller said its new A6X chip meant it had twice the CPU (central processing unit) power of the third-generation model.
"I think a lot of people will be upset to see a new full size iPad so soon,For many people that represents a pretty major purchase, something you wouldn't want to do more than once a year."
Stuff.tv's Mr Smith agreed that Christmas shoppers could be hesitant.
"I think if they look at the competition and they see that the Google Nexus 7 is £100 cheaper it's going to be hard to ignore that - unless you're buying for a hardcore Apple fan."
However, IDC predicted that the new device would boost Apple's already dominant position in the tablet market. It forecast that Apple would hold a 68% share of the market in 2012, compared to 29% for Android tablets.
Both would fall off slightly next year with the launch of Windows 8 tablets, IDC said.
The firm also announced upgrades to its Macbook Pro, iMac and Mac Mini ranges of computers.
Its new iMac machines have been made 80% thinner than previous models, Mr Schiller said.
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