iPad mini could be launching this year according to Samsung Securities document

How do you guys feel about 7” tablets? We know that it’s a slightly more portable form compared to a 10.1” or 9.7” tablet, but some might argue that the 7” form factor might be a bit too small for comfortable reading/browsing. Either way, it seems that the rumors of a iPad mini are stirring up again, this time around thanks to a Samsung Securities document which explicitly stated that Apple would be releasing an iPad mini to compete against the highly successful Amazon Kindle Fire.

“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 6-inch product temporarily referred to as the iPad mini.”

However it should also be noted that despite the information allegedly coming from an reputable source, whoever wrote the document could simply be buying into the rumor nad logic of a possible iPad mini. For those who may recall, a while back Apple’s late co-founder Steve Jobs shared his thoughts about a smaller iPad, which he felt was too small to allow for pages and apps to be run properly. For now we suggest taking this with a grain of salt; at least until the Q3 date rolls closer and we have more concrete information.