Samsung are set to reveal a direct competitor to the iPad mini, in the form of the Galaxy Note 8.

President of Samsung's mobile business John-Kyun Shin made the admission to a group of reporters, with the product set for release at a trade show next month.

Reports suggests the 8-inch tablet will be of similar dimensions to the iPad mini, meaning the product will be larger than Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 7.0.

While exact details are few and far between at present, Samsung's admission will no doubt increase media speculation before the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month.

Samsung will be hoping for similar success to Apple on the mini tablet front, with the product "exceeding initial supply" according to the Silicon Valley giant back in November.

Can Samsung challenge Apple on the mini tablet front? Tell us your thoughts below