Samsung 'mini S III' to steal thunder of Apple 'iPad mini'?

Although the iPhone 5 has been released, the buzz around what the media has already named the 'iPad mini' has just refused to die down. And if this Wall Street Journal report is to believed, Apple has already started production on a smaller version of its hugely popular tablet. You canclick here for the full report. (Note: This is part of WSJ's subscriber content.)

The report states that Apple's Asia-based parts suppliers have started mass production for the new device. It also quotes two sources who said that the smaller tablet will have a 7.85-inch liquid-crystal display with a lower resolution compared with the latest iPad model that came out in March.

This year has seen the launch of a slew of tiny tablets from Google's Nexus 7 to Kindle Fire HD with the seven-inch screen. These tablets cost less than $200 while Apple's new iPad with 4G connectivity starts at $499, with additional data charges. The iPad Mini is rumoured to launch in October.

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[caption id="attachment_478053" align="alignleft" width="380"] The iPad 2 is seen in this file photo. Representational Image. AFP[/caption]

But Apple isn't the only one with purported plans to launch a mini device. According to these reports, the company's South Korean arch-rival Samsung is also launching a Galaxy S III mini.

It seems that this device will be unveiled on 11 October in Germany and Samsung has already sent out press invites for the same. You can check out the invite, which is in German,here.

The rumour mills state that the Galaxy Mini S III will have a 4-inch screen with AMOLED display, a 5 megapixel camera and dual-core processor. It is also likely to cost less.