Electronics giant Apple has revealed a smaller version of its hit iPad tablet computer which comes with a screen about two-thirds the size of the full model.
Apple starts taking orders for the new model this Friday in the US - priced from 329 US dollars (£205) - and will ship the wi-fi-only models on November 2, according to marketing chief Phil Schiller at an event in San Jose, California.
Later, the company will add models capable of accessing "LTE" wireless data networks.
The iPad mini weighs 0.68lbs (0.31 kilograms), half as much as the full-size iPad, and is as thin as a pencil, Mr Schiller said. The screen resolution is 1024 by 768 pixels, the same as the iPad 2 and a quarter of the resolution of the third-generation iPad.
"It's not just a shrunken down iPad, it's an entirely new design," Mr Schiller added.
Company watchers have for a year been expecting the company to release a smaller iPad to counter cheaper tablets like Amazon's Kindle Fire.
However, most were expecting it to cost between 250 and 300 US dollars (£156-£187). At 329 dollars, it is twice the price of the basic Kindle Fire.
In a surprise move, Apple added that it is upgrading its full-size iPad tablet just six months after launching a new model, doubling the speed of the processor. Previously, the company has updated the iPad once a year.
The fourth-generation iPad will have a better camera and work on more "LTE" wireless data networks around the world. Apple is also replacing the 30-pin dock connector with the new, smaller "lightning" connector introduced with the iPhone 5 a month ago.
The price of the new full-size model stays the same as the previous version, starting at 499 dollars (£311) for a wi-fi-only version with 16 gigabytes of memory.
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