Today Apple finally unveiled the long-awaited iPad mini -- Apple's answer to the growing pressure from small tablets such as Google's Nexus 7 and Amazon's Kindle Fire HD.

This is a tablet that Apple claims is small enough to fit in one hand, but just as capable as the full-sized iPad.

Image source: Apple.

The iPad mini features a 7.9-inch display with 1024-by-768 resolution at 163 pixels per inch (ppi). In line with my predictions (booyah!), the display is not a retina display screen, but instead a shrunken down version of the screen found on the iPad 2.

Image source: Apple.

Because the resolution and aspect ratio of the iPad mini screen is the same as that of the iPad 2, apps that worked on earlier iPads will work on the iPad mini without the developers having to lift a finger.

Image source: Apple.

The iPad mini features a dual-core, dual-GPU A5 processor as found in the iPad 2, iPhone 4S, Apple TV, and the fifth-generation iPod Touch.

By bumping the screen up from 7-inch to 7.9-inch, Apple managed to give the iPad mini 35 percent more screen than the Kindle Fire HD or Nexus 7.

Image source: Apple.

Not only is the iPad mini small, it's also thin and lightweight, coming in at 7.2 mm and 308 g.

But don't let the size fool you -- the iPad mini's battery is rated for 10 hours, just like that of it's bigger brother.

It comes in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB versions, in both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + cellular.

Image source: Apple.

Also updated today was the iPad. the iPad 3 -- which was only introduced 6 months ago -- is gone, and in its place is the iPad 4, which Apple calls "iPad with Retina display".

Image source: Apple.

The biggest change made to the iPad 4 is the new processor -- the A6X. 

The new A6X chip inside the iPad 4 is a new dual-core CPU combined with quad-core graphics. According to Apple, it is up to twice as fast as the previous-generation A5X chip.

Image source: Apple.

The 30-pin dock connector that Apple has used on previous ipads is also gone, replaced with the smaller, sleeker 8-pin Lightning dock. 

This is the same dock as found on the iPhone 5, and has the advantage of taking 80 percent less space inside the iPad.

The connector is also reversible, making it easier to connect to a computer or to charge up the tablet.

Image source: Apple.

The dimensions of the iPad 4 are identical to those of the iPad 3.

Also, despite the upgraded processor, Apple has kept the battery life at 10 hours.

Image source: Apple.