iPad mini 'confirmed' by Samsung

06 March 2012

Samsung document claims smaller tablet landing this summer

So here we are, all excited at being just a day away from the launch of the next iPad, when we hear there's another Apple tablet on the horizon. The previously-rumoured iPad mini.

Before you get too excited, let's just say that this is not going to be launching tomorrow. The tablet has merely been 'confirmed' by a company document. But not an Apple document, this one is out of Samsung. Confused? We're not surprised.

The revelation appeared in a 'Samsung Securities' document, which was then spotted by the Oled Display site. Much of it is fairly technical stuff, the kind of thing you wouldn't go through in a million years. But someone did and on page 9 of 138, it said: 'Following the success of its iPad 1 and iPad 2, which have together achieved sales of 55m units, Apple plans in 1Q12 to launch the iPad 3 and in 3Q12 a new 7-inch product temporarily referred to as the iPad mini.'

If that statement is one of fact and if could be, bearing in mind Samsung has a working relationship with Apple on the iPad, we're looking at a summer launch for a smaller iPad, presumably to take on the Amazon Kindle Fire, the Google tablet and the lower-priced tablet market in general. It all makes sense.

On the other hand, the author could merely have rehashed the rumours that have been floating around about a smaller tablet for months now, second-guessing Apple's next move. So not a definite confirmation, but the chances of a smaller iPad on the market have just grown considerably.

Sources: Cult of Mac and Oled Display