Mark Bridge writes:

In many ways it’s been a week of big news without big surprises. Apple announced the much-rumoured iPad mini, which is just like an iPad but smaller. It also introduced a fourth-generation update to its larger iPad, promising more speed and more 4G connectivity.

Mobile payment service iZettle says American Express has joined its list of financial backers. The latest funding round already included over £20 million from MasterCard and venture capital funds including Greylock Partners, Northzone and SEB Private Equity plus initial investors Creandum and Index Ventures.

iZettle will use the funding for product development and expansion into new markets.

Mark Bridge writes:

Oh, how cheerful we were last Monday. Apple previewed iOS6, which will bring mobile tickets (and 200 other new features) to the iPhone and iPad this autumn. Vodafone cut the cost of using your phone in Europe with its flat-rate £3-per-day EuroTraveller deal and a few days later Three came up with its own ‘unlimited’ European data roaming.

Yet by the end of the week there were fewer smiles in the mobile industry.

Mobile payment provider iZettle has completed a €25 million (£20.2 million) round of new funding led by Greylock Partners and Northzone, with MasterCard and SEB Private Equity investing as well. Previous investors Index Ventures and Creandum have also participated.

iZettle turns an iPhone or iPad into a credit card terminal using a mini chip-card reader and app.

Mobile payment solution provider iZettle has made its application programming interface available to developers, enabling its card payment technology to be incorporated within other applications.

The beta programme of iZettle’s mini chip-card reader and app launched in the UK last month, giving almost anyone the ability to turn an iPhone or iPad into a credit card terminal.