1. The rise of the phablet
Apple launched the 5.5 inch iPhone 6 Plus just last month and Google has a 6 inch monster phone (phablet) - the Nexus 6 - going on sale soon. It makes sense that bigger phone screen sizes means there's less need for smaller-screen tablets.

2. Blink and you would have missed the announcement
At the launch event in the US overnight, the Apple executive who presented the new 7.9 inch iPad mini 3 spent approximately 29 seconds talking about it during a 1 hour 20 minute event.

3. Not faster and thinner 
Apart from the addition of touch ID (using your fingerprint to unlock the device), the specs of the new iPad mini 3 are unchanged from last year's iPad mini 2.

4. The portability gap has narrowed
Two years ago, the iPad mini was 2mm thinner than the new iPad and 50 per cent lighter. Today, the larger iPad Air 2 is 1.4mm thinner than the iPad mini 3 and only 25 per cent heavier.

5. There's now a feature gap
Last year's mini and Air were neck and neck in terms of processing power and features. Now the iPad Air 2 has crept ahead with a host of new bells and whistles.

6. An even bigger iPad in the wings?
If the whispers are correct, Apple will launch the iPad Pro, a 12.9 inch device, early next year, a move that will mean there are effectively two "mini-er" options.

7. Steve's prophecy was correct
In 2010, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs called 7 inch tablet "tweeners" which would  be "DOA - dead on arrival". Jobs was almost always right.