It’s not as if we didn’t see this one coming, but yes, Apple has unveiled a new, smaller iPad. Called the iPad mini, it is the long-awaited product for Apple fans with small hands or small pockets.

But what do you get with the new iPad mini? When is the iPad mini release date and what are the iPad mini specifications? Read on to find out everything there is to know.

iPad mini dimensions: 200 x 134.7 x 7.2mm

Naturally, the iPad mini is smaller. Sizing up at 7.2mm thick, this is the most portable and pocketable tablet Apple has ever made and easily puts it in line with the rest of the 7-inch tablet competition. It is 23 per cent thinner than previous generation iPads and, as Apple puts it, as thin as a pencil, which should give you an idea of how easy it will be to fit in your pocket.

iPad mini weight: 308 grams

Not surprisingly the iPad mini is also lighter, so you get an even more portable tablet. At just 308 grams, it is 58 per cent lighter than any other iPad.

iPad mini display resolution: 1024 x 768, 163ppi

No Retina Display to be seen here unfortunately, but you still get 1024 x 768 resolution, which matches up with the screen resolution on the original iPad. This means every app developed for the iPad will run on the tablet.

iPad mini display size and quality: 7.9-inch 

The display is 7.9-inch in size, compared to the 9.7-inches of the other iPads. The size difference will be noticeable when held up next to its bigger brother, but you should find more than enough viewing real estate to get the benefits of a tablet.

READ: iPad Mini pictures and hands-on

iPad mini network: LTE, nano SIM

It wouldn’t be fair if Apple didn’t include a UK 4G-compatible version of the iPad mini at launch, especially given the recent launch of the new 4G EE network. Thankfully, it has. This means speedy web on the go, faster downloads and smoother movie streaming. 

READ: 4G EE UK: Everything you need to know

You are also going to need a new nano SIM for network connectivity on the iPad mini.

iPad mini connectivity: Lightning connector

No surprise here then, Apple has used the Lightning connector from the iPhone 5. That means the iPad mini should work with some of the new Apple dock accessories, such as the HDMI out and USB out as well as the SD card reader just announced.

iPad mini processor: A5 chip

The iPad mini draws on the processor from the iPhone 4S and iPad 2, making it a right little powerhouse of a machine. The lack of quad-core should also mean decent battery life. 

iPad mini camera: 5-megapixel iSight camera, 1.2-megapixel FaceTime HD

Sitting on the back of the iPad mini is a 5-megapixel camera, with a FaceTime HD camera on the front. The rear iSight camera can shoot 1080p video.

iPad mini battery: 10-hour battery

Inside the iPad mini is a power unit capable of keeping the tablet ticking over for 10 hours of playtime. That all-day battery life is still there, then.

iPad mini accessories: New Smart Cover

The smaller tablet has a new version of the Smart Cover which will wrap all the way around the iPad mini. It comes in a selection of colours and folds so you can stand the iPad mini in landscape mode. There is also a new line of accessories to plug into the tablet's Lightning port, including HDMI out adapters and an SD card reader.

iPad mini price: 16GB Wi-Fi £269, 16GB cellular and Wi-Fi £369

The iPad mini isn't Nexus 7 cheap but it certainly costs less than the base cost of the £399 iPad 4. Starting at £269 for 16GB of memory with Wi-Fi only, £349 for 32GB and ending up at £429 for the 64GB version. Those after a LTE iPad mini will pay £369 for 16GB, £449 for 32GB and £529 for 64GB.

iPad mini release date: Pre-order 26 October, Wi-Fi 22 November, Cellular about two weeks later

Apple opens pre-orders to the iPad mini in just a few days, shipping out Wi-Fi versions of the tablet on 22 November. Apple didn't go into specifics of exactly when the cellular version would arrive, saying instead that it should ship about two weeks later. So if you are after an LTE version, you might have to hold out until just before Christmas.