Samsung expected to launch 'Galaxy S3 Mini' at Oct. 11 event

As the iPhone 5 has adopted a bigger 4-inch screen, Samsung is expected to go in the other direction and develop a smaller smartphone based on its popular Galaxy S series.

Samsung sent out invitations this week for an event set to be held on Oct. 11. As noted by Unwired View, the invites sent out in Germany tease that Samsung will show "how big small can be."

The Galaxy S III, Samsung's current flagship smartphone, sports a 4.8-inch display. Apple also opted to go bigger with the new iPhone 5, which has a 4-inch display, increasing from the 3.5-inch screen found on previous handsets made by the company.

Earlier reports from last week had suggested that Samsung was planning to release a so-called "Galaxy S III Mini." That device is expected to match screen size of the iPhone 5 with a 4-inch display.

Other rumored specifications for the smaller Galaxy S III include a 5-megapixel camera, dual-core processor, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

The invitation includes an "S" in the background, suggesting that the product's name will fall in line with the Galaxy S branding that Samsung has used for its flagship Android products for years.

After it launched this summer, the Galaxy S III passed Apple's iPhone 4S to become the top selling smartphone in the U.S. Its reign is expected to be short, however, with last month's launch of the iPhone 5 reaching a record setting 5 million in the product's first three days of availability.