A battle of the tablets has started after both Nokia and Apple launched their latest products on the same day.<br /><br />The contest is set to be the fiercest yet as Apple faces growing competition from rival gadget-makers.<br /><br />Apple said the 499 euro iPad air – the lightest yet – is eight times faster than the original iPad that came out in 2010.<br /><br />Apple has also launched the iPad mini which features a high definition screen and will retail at 399 euros.<br /><br />However in an attempt to steal Apple’s glory, Nokia immediately jumped in and introduced its first tablet computer.<br /><br />Nokia hopes its new Lumia 2520 will steal the main share of the Christmas market.<br /><br />The new device will use Microsoft’s Windows system and comes as Microsoft aims to complete its deal to buy Nokia’s phone business and patent rights. <br /><br />The deal is expected to close early next year.<br /><br /> Nokia, a Finnish company, has seen its mobile phone business deteriorate since Apple launched its revolutionary iPhone in 2007.<br /><br />Microsoft, meanwhile is losing heavily to Apple as traditional personal computers sales fail to compete with smartphones and tablets.<br /><br />The 10.1-inch Nokia tablet will cost around 360 euros and is expected to go on sale by the end of the year. <br /><br /> All versions of the 2520 will come with built-in 4G LTE cellular access.<br /><br /> By contrast, iPads and most other tablets make cellular access optional, with their cheapest models capable of using Wi-Fi only for Internet access.
