(Reuters) – Apple (AAPL) launched its new generation iPad mini on Tuesday, packed with AI features such as writing tools and an improved Siri assistant, as the iPhone maker looks to add artificial intelligence to its devices .

The new iPad mini is powered by Apple's A17 Pro chip, which is used in the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models. With a six-core central processing unit, the A17 Pro would increase CPU performance by 30% compared to the current generation iPad Minis and is central to running Apple Intelligence, Apple's AI software.

Apple said it would introduce the first AI features in the U.S. version of English this month through a software update with iPadOS 18.1.

The features will be available for iPads with A17 Pro or M1 chips and later generations, Apple said, adding that additional features such as image generation tools, Genmoji and ChatGPT-based features will be introduced in the next few months.

Apple unveiled its long-awaited AI-powered iPhone 16 lineup in September, but with the AI ​​features still in testing mode, the company failed to excite some investors, while early sales data raised some questions about demand.

Still, market research firm Canalys said Monday that the iPhone 16 would boost Apple's fourth-quarter sales and boost momentum in the first half of 2025, after Apple hit a record high in shipments in the third quarter.

The iPad mini, starting at $499, is available for pre-order starting Tuesday and will arrive at customers and Apple Stores next week, Apple said.

(Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)