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Apple unveils iPad Mini and fourth-gen iPad (pictures)

Following the success of its full-size tablet, Apple introduced its junior 7.9-inch iPad Mini as well as the fourth-generation iPad.

Lynn La
Lynn La covers mobile reviews and news. She previously wrote for The Sacramento Bee, Macworld and The Global Post.
Lynn La
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Apple shrinks into the iPad Mini

Just sixth months after introducing the New iPad, Apple unveiled its 7.9-inch iPad Mini today, during a press conference in San Jose, Calif. In addition, it will offer a faster, fourth-generation iPad.
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The iPad Mini is equipped with an A5 chip and a FaceTime HD camera.
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The back hosts a 5-megapixel camera.
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The iSight camera is capable of shooting 1080p HD video.
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On its side, the device measures 7.2mm, or about the size of a pencil. It is 23 percent thinner than the iPad.
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The iPad Mini (right) next to a 9.7-inch iPad (left).
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The iPad Mini measures 7.87 inches tall and 5.3 inches wide.
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The Mini tablet weighs 0.68 pound.
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The device uses a Lightning port connector for charging.
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A side view of the Mini tablet.
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The CNET Web site displayed on the iPad Mini. LED blacklight technology is used for the iPad Mini's screen.
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The Mini's silent/screen rotation lock and volume rocker.
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Another look at the 5-megapixel rear-facing camera.
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The 16GB model starts off at $329 for the Wi-Fi only version.
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Some preloaded apps include Safari, Notes, FaceTime, Photo Booth, Newsstand, and Reminders.
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The touch screen has a resolution of 1,024x768 pixels at 163 pixels per inch (ppi).
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The iPad Mini will run on AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon's LTE network.
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The sleep/power button is on the top right of the device.
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The iPad Mini will come in both black and white. Here is the back of the iPad Mini in black.
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The black iPad Mini's rear-facing camera.
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The iPad Mini is 53 percent lighter than the iPad.
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Another comparison shot of the 9.7-inch iPad (left) and the Mini (right).
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Phil Schiller, Apple's vice president of marketing, compares the iPad Mini to Android's flagship tablet, the Google Nexus 7, during today's press conference.
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A screen size comparison between the Nexus 7 (left) and the iPad Mini (right).
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How Guggenheim's mobile page displays on the Nexus 7 (left) and the iPad Mini (right).
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With 0.9 inch of more screen size, the Mini tablet is 49 percent larger than the Nexus 7 in portrait mode.
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Showing the difference between the Nexus 7's 16:9 aspect ratio and the iPad's more paperlike ratio, the Mini is 67 percent larger in landscape mode.
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Yelp on the Nexus 7 (left) and the iPad Mini (right).
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TripAdvisor on the Nexus 7 (left) and the iPad Mini (right).
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The array of Smart Cover colors for the iPad Mini.
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Another 9.7-inch iPad already?

In addition to the iPad Mini, Apple announced the fourth-generation iPad, despite releasing the "new" (third-generation) iPad just six months prior.
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The most recent iPad and the "new" (third-generation iPad) are essentially the same, aside from a more powerful A6X processor in the former. Click here to see how the iPad family stack up against each other.
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The fourth-generation iPad will still host the 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera that's capable of shooting 720p video.
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The Lightning port on the fourth-generation iPad.
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The tablet will still have a 9.7-inch screen with 2,048x1,536-pixel resolution and 264ppi. The device will also have a dual-core processor and quad-core graphics.
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One difference between the newest iPad and the third-generation iPad is that the former will be available on Sprint.
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The fourth-generation iPad weighs 1.44 pounds. Coming in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB versions, the iPad will begin at $499 for the Wi-Fi-only unit.
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On the back, there is a 5-megapixel camera that can shoot 1080p video.
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The tablet has a 0.37-inch profile.
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The entire pricing scale of Apple's iPads, including the iPad 2.

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