Apple Unveils A 10.5-Inch Ipad Air, Ipad Mini 5

Apple has revealed a new range of tablets in a surprise announcement.

It includes the first new iPad mini in nearly four years, complete with support for the firm’s Apple Pencil stylus.

The 10.5-inch iPad Air and 7.9-inch iPad mini 5 are now available to pre-order for £399 ($399) and £479 ($499), respectively.

It comes after the firm’s store went offline earlier today, sparking rumours of an imminent release.

When Apple reactivated the site it was home to the brand new iPad models, which are available in silver, space grey and gold, and come with 64GB and 256GB storage.

The usual fanfare and ceremony associated with the unveiling of new gadgets was abandoned and the low-profile launch was only accompanied with a statement from Apple.

The devices have been upgraded to house Apple’s latest A12 Bionic chip, which the tech giant says has given it three times the performance power of the previous generation, as well as graphics processing that is ‘nine times faster’.

The Air is also fitted with a True Tone display screen, which Apple claims is 20 per cent larger than previous models, despite being only 6.1 millimetres thick and weighing only 456 grams.

The smaller tablet has been resurrected at a time when smartphones are growing in size and ‘phablets’ are gaining popularity.

Foldable handsets from Huawei and Samsung can be opened out to create screens similar in size to the iPad mini.

It is expected to be available on all major network providers, with EE revealing pre-orders are open now and deliveries will be fulfilled by March 26.

An EE spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘EE will offer the new 10.5-inch iPad Air and the new 7.9-inch iPad mini, delivering dramatic power and capability with Apple Pencil support, advanced Retina displays, and the A12 Bionic chip.

‘Customers will be able to order iPad Air and iPad mini starting later this week at ee.co.uk, and they arrive in EE stores starting March 26th.’

Apple’s Phil Schiller said the two new devices would give potential tablet buyers greater choice.

‘The iPad continues to provide magical new experiences for a growing range of uses where it is the absolute best device, from playing games in augmented reality to note-taking and drawing with Apple Pencil, from streaming HD movies and editing 4K films to learning to develop apps with Swift Playgrounds,’ he said.

The usual fanfare surrounding new tech releases was avoided when Apple simply added new iPads to its range. The Air and the mini were updated on the site (pictured) when Apple came back online earlier today

The smaller tablet has been resurrected just as Huawei and Samsung unveiled their first foldable smartphones, both of which can be opened out to create screens similar in size to the iPad mini

Apple’s Phil Schiller said the two new devices would give potential tablet buyers greater choice, saying it offers ‘magical new experiences for a growing range of uses’

‘Today the iPad family takes two big leaps forward with an all-new 10.5-inch iPad Air that brings high-end size, features and performance at a breakthrough price, and a major upgrade to the 7.9-inch iPad mini, which also brings Apple Pencil, Retina display and the A12 Bionic chip to the many customers that love its compact size.’

Apple says the devices work with the Apple Pencil and the smart keyboard.

The technology giant is also due to hold a live event next week, when it is expected to announce a new TV and film streaming service to rival the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

Industry commentators have suggested Apple is looking to expand on its services business – which currently includes its Apple Music streaming platform – in the wake of falling iPhone sales.

The Apple Store in the US was temporarily offline, sparking rumours that the iPhone maker was about to launch a host of new products.

The site was showing a holding image of the Apple logo with the words ‘Be right back. We’re making updates to the Apple Store. Check back soon.’

Typically this happens when Apple is refreshing the store with new items, or updating the specs on existing products. 

But Apple has an event scheduled for a week’s time when you’d typically expect new products to be unveiled.

These product announcements were expected to be made via press release during the company’s March 25 ‘It’s Showtime’ event.

Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman wrote on Twitter: ‘If Apple was to be planning, say, new iPad and iMac announcements for this week, it would make a real statement about how much it wants to focus its March 25th event on its news and video services.’

The company have been teasing investors and fans for months about its ambitions to become a Netflix-style streaming service.

Since October 2017, Apple has bought a dozen projects – nine of which have been green-lit for a full series.

The shows are said to be backed by a budget that is set to top $1 billion (£760 million).

People familiar with the matter say that to they have been ‘racing’ to secure movies and TV shows to offer alongside its own original videos and is offering concessions to get deals done by a Friday deadline, Bloomberg reported last week.

As consumers are keeping their handsets for longer, the iPhone makers are looking towards services because of its promise as ‘the next growth area’.

Apple forecasts such sales will top $50 billion (£38bn) a year by 2021. Last year, services brought in $39.7 billion (£29bn), up 33 per cent.

The Apple Store in the US was temporarily offline, sparking rumours that the iPhone maker was about to launch a host of new products. The site was showing a holding image of the Apple logo with the words ‘Be right back. We’re making updates to the Apple Store. Check back soon’ (pictured)

Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman wrote on Twitter: ‘If Apple was to be planning, say, new iPad and iMac announcements for this week, it would make a real statement about how much it wants to focus its March 25th event on its news and video services’

While we might get the first glimpse at Apple’s streaming service next week, the full service isn’t expected to launch until later in the year.

Most of Apple’s own movies and TV shows are either completed or nearing the end of filming.

Shows that have finished shooting include ‘Are You Sleeping?’ starring Octavia Spencer; Ronald D. Moore’s ‘For All Mankind’; M. Night Shyamalan’s thriller series; Charlie Day and Rob McElhenney’s unnamed comedy; and ‘Dickinson’ starring Hailee Steinfeld, according to MacRumors.

Apple already offers a couple of shows, including ‘Carpool Karaoke.’

The Apple News subscription service is expected to cost $9.99 a month

Apple is also planning to launch a new gaming subscription service that will work like ‘Netflix for games’.

The tech giant is said to be working on the platform which will allow users to access a library of games in return for a subscription fee.

WHAT SHOWS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON APPLE’S NEW NETFLIX-RIVAL STREAMING SERVICE?