Apple unceremoniously unveiled a new pair of tablets, updating its iPad Mini for the first time in more than three years and adding more processing power to the iPad Air.

The new 7.9-inch iPad Mini and 10.5-inch iPad Air will both come with Apple’s A12 Bionic processor, retina display and support for Apple Pencil. Both will also support eSIM and be offered with Wi-Fi-only or Wi-Fi plus mobile connectivity.

In a statement, Apple said the iPad Air upgrades yield a 70 per cent boost in performance and twice the graphics processing capabilities, on a screen that is 20 per cent larger than its predecessor. iPad Mini will deliver three-times better performance and nine-times faster graphics.

The previous iPad Mini was released in 2015 with Apple’s A8 processor.

Phil Schiller, SVP of worldwide marketing, called the releases “two big leaps forward” for Apple’s iPad line.

Apple announced the devices a week ahead of an event at its headquarters, fuelling speculation the company will focus squarely on new services, including a new video streaming product.

Pricing for iPad Mini starts at $399 for a 64GB Wi-Fi model and $529 for a 64GB model with mobile connectivity.

The iPad Air will cost $499 in 64GB Wi-Fi format and $629 for the comparable mobile model.

Both will come in a 256GB configuration.