Tech giant Apple is reportedly planning to unveil a mini version of the iPad this month to take on rival firms Amazon and Google. Apple is expected to launch the iPad mini on October 17, just a week before Amazon launches its Fire range of tablets in the UK. The announcement will see Apple go head to head with Amazon, Google and Barnes and Noble, which last week announced its own Nook tablets, the Daily Mail reports.

The new device is believed to have similar hardware to last year''s iPad 2, but reduced to a pocket-friendly seven or eight-inch form, the report said.

The launch date was reported by Fortune magazine, which cites Apple investors hearing the date from ''multiple sources''.

The iPad Mini, a shrunken version of Apple tablet, is likely to be available in shops on November 2.