In addition to the iPad mini, Apple revealed a second tablet at yesterday’s launch event in San Jose. Just as rumored, this 9.7-inch tablet comes with a faster processor, but as it turns out, it is actually Apple’s fourth iteration of the full-sized iPad. Pre-orders for this new tablet would start on October 26.

Photo credit: Apple

There are few new additions to this fourth-generation “new” iPad, but some of them can already be found on other Apple devices – in particular, the iPhone 5 shipped with a Lightning connector port and iOS 6 out of the box. The same applies for the fourth-generation iPad, which will be faster thanks to the new A6X processor and will also come with a FaceTime HD camera in front.

The A6X chip is supposedly twice as fast in terms of CPU and GPU performance compared to the A5X on the third-generation iPad.

Other than that, everything remains unchanged. The fourth-generation iPad has a 9.7-inch Retina Display screen just like the third-generation version and still lasts 10 hours on its battery. iPad Smart Covers and Smart Cases designed for the third-gen iPad can be used on the new iPad, as the design is exactly the same as well.

While some may criticize Apple for not introducing too many new twists on a supposed fourth-gen iPad, one good thing about this minor overhaul is that the pricing hasn’t changed. The cheapest version is priced at $499, and comes with 16 GB storage space and Wi-Fi only support. Pricing goes all the way up to $829 for the 64 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular version.