According to a new report by AllThingsD, the iPad mini release date is just two weeks away.

The site quotes a source “familiar with Apple’s plans” and hints at what is likely to be an invitation-only iPad mini launch event on October 23.

If the report is correct, an iPad mini release date of October 23 would come three days before Microsoft’s announcement of Windows 8 and the new Surface tablet. October 23rd is also two days before Apple’s quarterly earnings report.

Rumors and speculation about a smaller iPad have swirled for months, fueled in part by the success of 7″ tablet offerings from both Google and Amazon. Devices like the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD have chipped away at the full-size iPad’s market share thanks in large part to low price tags.

Some reports indicated the iPad mini would launch October 17, but no invitations have been sent out at present. An October 23rd announcement makes sense, and would allow for an early November iPad mini release date just in time for the holiday season.

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