In San Francisco this afternoon Apple revealed a new 7.9-inch iPad Mini, based upon the internals of the iPad 2, to an audience of feverish fans. But from an Android perspective, what's most interesting is the stage time given to Google's $199 Nexus 7, which has already seen success in the small form factor tablet space. The Nexus 7 stayed on screen for several minutes while Apple's Phil Schiller took jabs at the device.
Showing the two tablets side-by-side, the Apple VP played up the iPad Mini's advantages in materials, screen size and tablet app ecosystem. However, Apple didn't venture anywhere near Google's tablet when it came to price -- the cheapest iPad Mini, a 16GB Wifi-only model, is to sell for $329.99 in the U.S.
Google is widely expected to expand its tablet portfolio next week, with a 32GB Nexus 7 and a new Samsung-built 10-incher, with a 2560x1600 display.
Apple also unveiled a fourth-generation retina iPad, along with new MacBook, Mac Mini and iMac computers.
For more on today's Apple developments, head on over to our sister site iMore.com.
