SAN FRANCISCO: Apple Inc will host an event next week in what is expected to be the unveiling of a smaller iPad, venturing into a market staked out well in advance by rivals Amazon.com Inc and Google Inc .
The invitation-only event will be held on Oct. 23 at the California Theatre in San Jose, California, the company said on Tuesday.
Apple's invitation did not reveal details of the event, but hinted at something small with the words: "We've got a little more to show you."
Several news organizations received the invitations for the October 23 event taking place in San Jose, California.
Some blogs which closely monitor Apple say the new tablet could be priced from $249 to $399, which could pressure rivals such as the Amazon Kindle Fire.
The announcement comes three days prior to the release of Microsoft's new Surface tablet and two days before Apple reports quarterly earnings.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that Apple has begun production of 10 million of the new iPads.
Various reports have cited the specifications of the new tablet and some pictures have also leaked. It is expected to have a screen of 7.85 inches (20 centimeters) compared with 9.7 inches for the current iPad.
The 10-inch iPad has long dominated the tablet market, but faces a growing challenge from smaller models such as Amazon's Kindle Fire, the Google Nexus 7 and the Samsung Galaxy.
Apple launches are some of the hottest events on the tech calendar, scrutinized by fans, investors, the media and industry insiders alike.
Speculation has swirled for months that Apple is planning a smaller, less expensive version of its popular iPad to take on cheaper competing devices, a move that may hurt its margins but prevent its archrivals from dominating an increasingly important computing segment.
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