Apple has updated its iBooks e-reading app, adding the ability to scroll through a book instead of turning pages.
It’s also now possible to share segments with friends via Twitter and Facebook while Apple’s iCloud service will synch bookmarks between devices.
The additions help Apple close the lead rival apps and eBook reading platforms enjoy over it.
The company has also refreshed its iBooks Author tool, introducing a new portrait-only template and the ability to embed fonts.
The software updates were unveiled by Apple CEO Tim Cook at an event held to announce the launch of a new iPad mini.
Retailing at £269 in the UK for the base model, the iPad mini measures just 7.2mm thin and has a 7.9” screen.
It is available in the same White & Silver and Black & Slate colour schemes as the iPhone 5 and supports the UK’s only 4G mobile phone network, EE.
“iPad mini is every inch an iPad. With its gorgeous 7.9-inch display, iPad mini features the same number of pixels as the original iPad and iPad 2, so you can run more than 275,000 apps designed specifically for iPad,” said Apple’s Phil Schiller in a statement.
“iPad mini is as thin as a pencil and as light as a pad of paper, yet packs a fast A5 chip, FaceTime HD and 5 megapixel iSight cameras and ultrafast wireless―all while delivering up to 10 hours of battery life.”
A new 4th generation of the 9.7” iPad has also been unveiled, replacing the iPad 3 which launched earlier this year.
Both new versions of the new iPad are equipped with Apple’s new Lightening connector and share the same screen resolution of 1024×768 pixels. Claimed battery life on both sizes is 10 hours.