(Ars Technica) -- After months of rumor roundups and speculation, Apple's iPad mini has finally been announced—and the 7-inch tablet market has just heated up. This growing product category now has more to offer than Android devices with differing UI skins and varying components—or that BlackBerry PlayBook that's not selling too hot. That's not to say that Apple's entrance into the mini-tablet game is solely what's fueling the fire. Up until now, only the first-generation Kindle Fire and the recently launched Google Nexus 7 were considered worthy buys. Add the iPad mini to the mix, and this particular product category has a little more steam.
@highlight
Apple's iPad Mini joins the 7-inch tablet market
@highlight
Amazon's Kindle Fire HD, Google's Nexus 7 are among current leaders
@highlight
Apple's display screen is bigger than the others, but $329 price tag is bigger, too
If you're already a faithful @placeholder user, you won't have to leave the ecosystem.