Market flooded with wave of new hardware
Apple and Nokia unveil latest offerings in time for the Christmas rush
Apple and Nokia have squared up to each other as they unveiled their latest devices to the world in time for the festive season.
Last night Apple showed off its new iPad Air tablet - the fifth generation of the device - which it claims is 20 per cent thinner and 28 per cent lighter than its predecessor.
Along with the new Air tablet (pictured right), the vendor took the wraps off its next-generation iPad Mini with retina display. It said the 7.9in display on the new machine is 35 per cent larger than screens on rival 7in tablets and that despite being smaller than the traditional iPad, it still runs the full experience.
Both new offerings come with next-generation FaceTime video calling and both run updated operating system iOS 7.
The new iPad Air will be priced from £399 for the 16GB, Wi-Fi-only model up to £739 for the 128GB version which comes with Wi-Fi capability and 3G.
The new iPad Mini, which comes in silver or "space grey", will cost between £319 for the 16GB model and £559 for the 128GB option - both coming with Wi-Fi and the latter including 3G too.
The new offerings will be available in the UK for consumers via its online store and retailers as well as through its network of Authorised Apple Resellers from 1 November.
Apple's announcements followed similar news from newly acquired Nokia, which showed off its new hardware offerings in the form of ‘"phablets" - large smartphones - and its first-ever tablet.
The Lumia 2520 tablet (pictured left) will be powered by new parent-firm Microsoft's Windows RT operating system and will be available in red, white, turquoise and black.
The Finnish firm said it was inviting users to switch to Nokia as its devices' prices were more accessible and its products were more innovative.
The devices will begin shipping this quarter and will start being rolled out across the UK, US and Finland at about $499 before taxes.
In IDC's latest tablet tracker, in Q2, Apple dominated the tablet market, taking 60.3 per cent market share.