They’re finally here: Apple has officially announced that it will be shipping a new version of the popular iPad’s and its little brother, the iPad Mini.
The new tablet will be significantly smaller than the standard iPad, with a screen size of 7.9″ and weigh about half as much. For the 16GB model pricing will be set at US $329, which is considerably pricier than other tablets of the same size.
The new iPad, meanwhile, will feature a more powerful processor and better LTE wireless support, according to this Wall Street Journal article.
Apple is currently riding on a wave of success with an impressive showing for iPhone 5 sales, including in Canada. But some industry analysts have questioned whether the smaller iPad will be able to compete with cheaper Android tablets.
One analyst quoted by the WSJ said that “the mini iPad is likely to force select [computer makers] to exit the tablet market in the coming years, as we expect Apple to drop the price of the iPad1 to $200 next year.”