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Apple – the same company that a few years ago said that seven-inch tablets are too small – has just launched the iPad mini, the worst-kept secret in tech. The company’s newest device is a 7.9-inch tablet that’s designed to compete with the popular Google’s Nexus 7.

The iPad mini packs a 1,024 x 768 display, is 7.2mm thick and weighs 308g. The device has been manufactured with an all-new process that gives it the same anodised edges as you’ll find on the iPhone 5. Six versions are available in three different storage capacities of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB.

If you were hoping for equal specifications to the bigger 10-inch iPad, you may be mildly disappointed. While it will pack a five-megapixel camera and an LTE modem (if you opt to buy a cellular model), the iPad mini runs the last-generation A5 CPU. However, the slower internals and less potent display may account for how the company has been able to squeeze out a claimed 10 hours of use despite the limited space for a battery.

The good news for app developers is that app compatibility is not an issue and all applications will run normally without the need of special customisations since it uses the same screen resolution of the iPad 2.

Pre-orders for the iPad mini began on October 26 and it will begin shipping on November 2.

Jesmond Darmanin is a technology enthusiast who has his own blog at www.itnewsblog.com.