Apple is reportedly under pressure to release a $200 iPad Mini and halt the steady surge of affordable Android compact tablets. Ironically, Samsung could be a likely partner with this endeavour, new reports said.

Apple's dominance of the tablet market is under threat, according to Citigroup analyst Glenn Yeung, adding that the tech giant needs to act quickly if only to protect its receding market shares.

The iPad maker has to counter the challenges coming from numerous fronts, chiefly from Google and Samsung. The two Apple rivals are peppering the market with a barrage of purported iPad Mini killers namely the Nexus 7 2 and the Galaxy Note 8.0.

Most notable is the second-gen Nexus 7, which reports said is the biggest danger to the iPad Mini with its 1080p display screen, a Snapdragon 800 CPU, Jelly Bean 4.3.3 and starting price of $US199.

In order to meet this strong Google push, Apple needs "to launch a lower cost iPad Mini ... (of) similar screen resolution and with a cheaper mechanical design," BGR News quoted Mr Yeung as saying in a recent note.

This Mini is geared for a price range between $200 and $250 and should be out in time for the 2013 holiday quarter, the analyst added.

And to realise this short-term goal, Apple will need to tap an unlikely partner - Samsung. The Galaxy device maker is formerly a big player in the iOS device supply chain but has earned the ire of Apple for coming up with smartphones and tablets that latter claimed are copycats of iPhones and iPads.

Whether Apple is comfortable to work with Samsung anew, the choice is sensible, Apple Insider said in a report, that is if the tech giant would want to deliver the cheaper Mini on time.

Specifically, Apple would likely source its thin glass LCD requirements, which is a major component is building the display screen of the iPad Mini, from Samsung.

To date, Samsung is "one of the more reliable component suppliers ... and has a considerable stable of thin glass vendors," Apple Insider said.

Unlike other Apple suppliers, the Asian tech titan is fully capable of ramping up component production in massive amount, the same report added.