A visitor tries out the new iPad mini during an Apple special event in San Jose, California, the Untied States, Oct. 23, 2012. (Xinhua Photo)
Apple on Tuesday introduced iPad mini, the much-anticipated smaller version of its iPad tablet computer, in an attempt to further marginalize its competitors in the tablet market.
Compared to its 9.7-inch full-sized predecessors, the iPad mini features a 7.9-inch screen. It is 7.2 mm thin and weighs 0.68 pound.
The new product has the same number of pixels as the original iPad and iPad 2, is equipped with front-facing and back cameras and can deliver up to 10 hours of battery life.
With dual-core A5 chip inside, the iPad mini has HD Facetime, Apple's video calling software application and some models support the fast LTE wireless network.
Speaking at a press event held in San Jose in the U.S. state of California, Apple executives noted that the iPad mini is "every inch an iPad," saying it is the "concentration not the reduction" of the full-sized iPad and is easy to use with one hand.
The company added that the new product is environmentally friendly as it is free of some major toxic chemicals and recyclable.
Apple executives also used the occasion to highlight the differences between iPad mini and the latest Android tablet.
Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing at Apple, said there is "gigantic differences" between the iPad mini and the 7-inch tablet running Google's Android mobile system.
