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Apple is indeed making a 7.85in 'iPad Mini' an executive from Samsung - of all companies - has claimed.

The unnamed official was commenting on component supply contracts worth almost $10bn signed by Apple and Samsung, the Korea Times reports.

The contracts cover Flash storage chips, computer memory, LTE 4G communications silicon and - here's the thing - display technology.

This despite the two companies' ongoing legal spat over tablet and smartphone intellectual property.

Apple apparently spent $7.8bn on Samsung displays, mobile CPUs, Flash chips and DRAMs in 2011.

"The [2012] contract is expected to rise to $11bn by the end of this year as Apple is planning to release a smaller iPad, probably with a 7.85in screen, and to sell more of its MacBook Air PCs using Samsung’s faster solid-state drive storage," the mole said.

But caution is necessary - you'll note the use in the direct quote above of the word 'probably'. That suggests the Samsung staffer is as likely to be parroting widely published rumours of Apple's reduced-stature tablet as to have inside information that the Mac maker really is working on such a device.

The gadget will use "new PLS-based LCD technology" for its screen, the insider added. PLS stands for Plane to Line Switching, a system devised by Samsung claimed by the company to be ten per cent brighter than regular In Plane Switching (IPS) LCDs of the type used in many of today's tablets and smartphones. PLS offers even better viewing angles too, Samsung says.

Samsung already builds "Super PLS" panels into some of its monitors. ®

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