iPad Mini was successful in its own turf. The small display but similar capacities to the standard tablet or laptop make it a runaway success for most face offs. It is also the main driving factor behind tech companies shifting their attention to 8-inch tablets. With the pending release of the iPad Mini 2, companies like Asus, Acer and Samsung are gearing up to boost their 8-inch lineups and compete.

Consumers can definitely expect an exciting treat as the Q3 kicks in. There is a lot of hype going on about the iPad Mini 2. First, it is Apple's latest offering in the market. The company has been struggling to compete with another tech giant, Samsung. The iPad Mini is the flagship of this line of products and releasing the second installment may help bring back the appeal Apple once had.

Secondly, there is much talk going on about whether the iPad Mini 2 will have a Retina display or not. The previous iPad Mini has low resolution, only around 1,024x768. Though the iOS has a clever way of using screen space allowing the iPad Mini to make it look like there is more than enough space than Google's Nexus 7. The Nexus 7 has a resolution of 1,280x800. Technically, there is no need for the new iPad to have more resolution but an added res will definitely enhance user experience.

Acer is not going to let Apple have all in the fun in this niche. Just this week, the company released their 8.1-inch Iconia W3. It is a Windows 8 tablet officially distributed throughout the United States. Acer is bringing the laptop experience to a smaller offering complete with a dual-core 1.8GHz Atom Z2760 processor. Iconia may not be using the fastest x86 processors, but the Atom Z2760 can power the device up to eight hours.

The rumor mill also has it that Asus is developing another line of 8-inch tablets. With the new Google Nexus 7.2 coming out and Asus playing an important part in it, there are speculations whether the company will want to head out and join the competition with their own line of products. In fact, Asus has already started their 8-inch campaign with their Memo Pad HD 7. Reports say, the company is planning for more.

The third and fourth quarters of this year will definitely be exciting as consumers will get to see a range of 8-inch tablets hitting the market. Analysts once noted that tablet shares have reached 60% and that share can increase possibly this year and the coming year.