Apple surprises fans with a brand NEW £499 product - and there's not long to wait before you can get your hands on it

It's been less than a month since the latest iPhone was released, but already Apple has a new device to show off. 

The tech giant has unveiled the 7th generation iPad Mini – the first update to this product line for more than three years.

The 'ultraportable' £499 device has a 8.3-inch screen and 'all-day' battery life and works with the £129 Apple Pencil Pro, released back in May. 

Just like last year's iPhone 15 Pro, the new iPad is powered by the A17 Pro chip, meaning it will be able to run 'Apple Intelligence'. 

Apple Intelligence is the firm's new suite of AI software that includes image editing, 'Genmoji' and an integration with ChatGPT. 

Apple revealed the new gadget in a blog post, calling it the most 'capable and versatile' iPad Mini ever. 

Prices start at £499/$499 with 128GB – double the minimum storage option of the previous generation – and go up to £799/$799 for the 512GB model. 

It is available in four colours – space gray, starlight, blue and purple – and is available to pre-order now, prior to a October 23 release date. 

'There is no other device in the world like iPad mini, beloved for its combination of powerful performance and versatility in our most ultraportable design,' said Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of global product marketing. 

'iPad Mini appeals to a wide range of users and has been built for Apple Intelligence, delivering intelligent new features that are powerful, personal, and private. 

'With the powerful A17 Pro chip, faster connectivity, and support for Apple Pencil Pro, the new iPad Mini delivers the full iPad experience in our most portable design at an incredible value.' 

Just like the 6th generation iPad Mini from 2021 – which went on sale at the same time as iPhone 13 – the new tablet features a 8.3-inch 'Liquid Retina' display. 

Liquid Retina displays have a high pixel density, meaning many pixels are packed into a small space, resulting in sharper and more detailed imagery. 

For gamers, the new iPad will bring graphics for life with 'ray tracing' – which simulates how light interacts with objects. 

Apple says the addition of the A17 Pro chip gives it a 'huge performance boost' over its predecessor, priming it for demanding AI-based tasks. 

'A17 Pro is a powerful chip that unlocks a number of improvements over A15 Bionic in the previous-generation iPad Mini,' the tech firm says. 

'A17 Pro brings entirely new experiences – including pro apps used by designers, pilots, doctors, and others – and makes it faster than ever for users to edit photos, dive into more immersive AR applications and more.' 

Apple describes iPad Mini 7th-gen as 'built for Apple Intelligence' – its much-touted suite of AI features that includes a new version of Siri that uses ChatGPT.

Apple Intelligence also includes a 'Clean Up' tool for the Photos app, which makes ultra-clean edits to photos, and Genmoji (AI-generated emoji). 

It will be available on the iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Pro Max, as well as all four new iPhone 16 models, plus some full-sized iPads and Macs.

It comes out later this month for people in the US; however, those in the UK and other countries will have to wait until December.  

It was on September 9 that Apple unveiled its long-awaited, AI-boosted iPhone 16 lineup, with a release date less than two weeks later. 

iPhone 16 – which which starts at £799/$799 and goes to a whopping £1,199/$1,199 – has camera upgrades a boost in battery life and a brand new button – a feature described as 'incredible' and the 'coolest feature ever' by fans.