Apple has unveiled its new iPad ahead of the Christmas shopping build up, aiming to beat the competition from Google’s Android which is fast catching up with Apple’s own iOS as the best selling tablet software.

The new device is 20% thinner than its predecessor and powered by the A7 chip, which is found in the company’s iPhone 5S. Apple claims that the device is the lightest full sized tablet currently on the market.

Apple’s iPad range accounted for $25.8bn (£17.6bn) worth of sales in the nine months leading up to July.