Apple to unveil iPad Mini tonight; can it give Google & Amazon a run for their money?

Apple is all set to unveil a smaller version of the iPad, the company's popular tablet offering. The new tablet, rumoured to be a 7 inch device, could be called iPad Mini. According to many, Apple has decided to reduce the size of its tablets for the first time since launching the first iPad in 2010, in an attempt to challenge Amazon's and Google's tablet offerings. Currently, Amazon's Kindle Fire series of tablets and Google's Nexus 7 tablets dominate the 7 inch screen size segment (which has been fast gaining acceptance among consumers) of the tablet market.

But the real challenge for the company would be to offer an amazing product while making it an affordable one (not something Apple is very good at), considering the fact that both Amazon's and Google's 7 inch tablets are priced below $250. As Amazon has already targeted Apple by offering an 8.9 inch tablet and Google is also planning to launch a new tablet with a bigger screen, it's only a matter of time before Apple poached on their sweet spots.

Stay tuned for the upcoming Apple event that is scheduled to start in less than 4 hours from now and keep track of this space for more updates on the device as and when it is launched.

(Edited by Sanghamitra Mandal)