Apple has done well selling its full-sized tablet computer, which has a screen that measures nearly 10 inches diagonally. But companies such as Amazon.com Inc. and Google Inc. have made inroads selling tablets with smaller, 7-inch screens and lower price tags.
To maintain its dominance, Apple will start shipping the iPad Mini on Friday, though new orders through Apple's website will take longer because initial supplies had sold out. It will have a 7.9-inch screen, making it slightly larger than those smaller rivals but about two-thirds the size of a regular iPad.
The iPad Mini starts at $329, well above the $159 starting price for Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle Fire and $199 for Google Inc.'s Nexus 7. Both have 7-inch screens. The Mini will be just $70 cheaper than the 2011 iPad 2, which is still available.
Apple will make a version of the iPad Mini that can access cellular networks from AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. That version will start at $459, compared with $629 for the full-sized cellular model.
Apple is also refreshing its full-sized iPad, giving it a faster processor and faster Wi-Fi capabilities.
Meanwhile, Apple has unveiled a 13-inch version of a MacBook Pro with sharper, "Retina" display, complementing the 15-inch version unveiled in June. Apple also updated its iMac line.
Last month, Apple began selling its iPhone 5. The new phone is bigger, but thinner than previous models and works with faster cellular networks known as 4G.
