Apple outs updated iPad Air and iPad Mini ahead of anticipated Apple TV service launch next week

Apple gets hardware launches out of the way ahead of expected TV and news subscription service launches on 25 March

Apple has unveiled to updated iPads, the iPad Air and iPad Mini 5, in a low-key unveiling ahead of what is expected to be a much bigger launch of its television and news subscription services next week.

The new iPad Air - launched less than two years after Apple retired the ‘Air' branding - is a 10.5-incher at a US starting price of $499, while the 7.9-inch iPad Mini 5 will cost $399. Prices will be about the same in the UK, including VAT.

Both have Retina displays, ten-hour battery life, which Apple claims means it will run all day, and are powered by Apple's A12 Bionic CPU. However, both devices continue to use Touch ID for authentication, rather than Face ID; and both are powered via a single Lightning port for charging, rather than standard USB-C.

The iPad Air screen is 20 per cent larger than the 9.7-inch display on the previous generation model. It no longer offers 120Hz ProMotion, but offers instead smaller Bezels. The screen on the iPad Mini, meanwhile, provides the same 7.9-inch, 2048x1536 display as previous iPad Minis, but now supports True Tone, adjusting the white balance of the display according to the ambient light.

Apple was keen to assert how light the devices are, with both weighing in at around 450 grams.

If, for some reason, you want to use the iPad as a camera, that's also been subject to an upgrade, with both front and rear 7MP cameras offering 1080p HD video recording.

The iPad Mini, meanwhile, offers Apple Pencil support for the first time.

Both models will offer models with WiFi connectivity and 4G.

Apple has got the hardware launches it has planned for spring a week ahead of its 25 March ‘Services' launch, which is expected to include Apple's long-awaited rival to Netflix and other streaming video services, as well as a $10/month all-you-can-eat news subscription service.