Apple expands tablet line with addition of iPad mini
San Jose, California - Apple introduced its heavily anticipated iPad mini Tuesday, hoping to extend the dominance of its line of tablet computers in the upcoming holiday season.
Apple also introduced a fourth-generation iPad, boasting wireless connectivity and a more powerful processor than the one in the iPad it introduced just six months ago.
Apple has sold over 100 million iPads since the tablets were announced two years ago, Apple CEO Tim Cook said at a media event in San Jose.
Apple is facing growing competition from the likes of Google, Amazon and Microsoft in the tablet market, especially from 7-inch tablets which are smaller and less expensive than the standard 9.7-inch iPad.
The screen of the iPad mini measures 7.9 inches diagonally, but according to Apple offers over 40 per cent more screen area than competitors' 7-inch tablets. Customers in the US will be able to start ordering the new device on Friday with prices starting at 329 dollars.
The fourth-generation iPad also goes on sale Friday for a starting price of 499 dollars.
In one of the company's biggest product launches ever, Apple also unveiled a new 13-inch Macbook and a new version of the iMac all-in-one desktop computer that features a so-called Fusion Drive that combines a flash drive with a regular optical drive to maximize storage space and performance.//DPA