Apple unveils brand new iPad Air and iPad Mini with 'dramatic' new features

Both iPads will be the same price as their predecessors, with the release date set for next week

The new iPad Air comes with support for Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard (Appl)

Apple has unveiled two brand new iPads in a surprise product announcement.

The 10.5-inch iPad Air and 7.9-inch iPad Mini were revealed on the tech giant's website, with both available to order starting from today. A release date is yet to be specified, though Apple said the devices will be in stores next week.

Both devices feature Apple's latest A12 Bionic chip and advanced Retina display, which Apple says will deliver "dramatic power and capability".

"Today the iPad family takes two big leaps forward with an all-new 10.5-inch iPad Air that brings high-end size, features and performance at a breakthrough price, and a major upgrade to the 7.9-inch iPad mini, which also brings Apple Pencil, Retina display and the A12 Bionic chip to the many customers that love its compact size," said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of marketing.

“iPad continues to provide magical new experiences for a growing range of uses where it is the absolute best device, from playing games in augmented reality to note-taking and drawing with Apple Pencil, from streaming HD movies and editing 4K films to learning to develop apps with Swift Playgrounds."

The new iPad Air comes with support for Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard (Appl)

The iPads' unveiling comes one week ahead of Apple's 'It's Showtime' event, suggesting that the Cupertino company will focus on a new video service.

The new iPad Air and iPad Mini also come with upgraded front and back-facing cameras and advanced sensors to enable immersive augmented reality experiences.

The new Air is available on Apple's website from $499 for a 64GB version and $649 for a 256GB version.

The new iPad Mini also comes with Apple Pencil support (Apple)

Its advanced display allows the iPad Mini to have the highest pixel density of any iPad before it, while also being 25 per cent brighter than the previous iPad Mini.

The iPad Mini is available to buy in Silver, Space Gray and Gold, with either 64GB or 256GB of storage.

The 64GB version is available from $399, while the 256GB model is available from $549.