iPad Pro release date: Apple's huge tablet launches on 11 November

The basic 32GB WiFi-only iPad Pro will cost UK consumers £679

Apple CEO Tim Cook holds the hefty iPad Pro at its unveiling in September 2015 (Stephen Lam/ Getty Images)

Apple has announced that its latest tablet, the iPad Pro, will be released on 11 November, for a starting price of £679.

The iPad Pro, a larger, more powerful version of the existing iPad, will be available to buy online from 11 November, and will arrive in Apple Stores later in the week, probably on 13 November.

The £679 price only applies to the 32GB WiFi-only model - the 128GB version with the WiFi and 4G data connection will cost £899.

The accessories that go with the iPad, the Apple Pencil (remember when Steve Jobs said "nobody wants a stylus?" That's gone out the window) and the Smart Keyboard will run you £79 and £139 respectively.

The new tablet, which has a large 12.9 inch Retina display, will be available in three metallic finishes - silver, gold and space gray.

The iPad Pro also boasts a 64-bit A9X chip which rivals many laptop PCs, and a promised 10-hour battery life, so you won't be reaching for the charging cable every 10 minutes.

As expected, it's a gorgeous and impressive-looking device, and one which Apple hopes will be able to kick-start its tablet sales, which have slumped recently.

The Apple Pencil (Apple's first stylus in a long time) will cost £79

The increased size, power and pencil and keyboard functionality means it could potentially be a replacement for a traditional laptop, and in their marketing for the device, Apple's done a lot to stress its usefulness for designers, artists and creative types.

It's also going to have to compete with Microsoft's latest generation of tablets - the Surface Pro 4, which costs £749 for the 128GB version, with the detachable keyboard costing another £110.

It's also going to face competition from the Surface Book, the first-ever laptop Microsoft has ever produced. The tablet is pretty powerful on its own, but gets an extra boost from an Nvidia GPU when the tablet screen is connected to the keyboard.

The Surface Book isn't yet available in the UK, but will be Apple's main competition in markets where it has been released.