Galaxy Note 2 And Rumored Galaxy S3 Mini And Galaxy S2 Plus Make Samsung's Fall Season Look Strong

A mock up of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, which should be a niche success for the company. (Photo : Daniel Uy)

Samsung must really have it out for Apple now. After losing a lawsuit to Apple, Samsung is not only slapped with a $1 billion fine, but the Korean company has to also deal with the fact that Apple's iPhone 5 and iPad Mini are inevitably going to eat into sales when they come out this fall. Rumors have begun circulating that Samsung will be releasing two more handsets this fall - a Galaxy S3 Mini and Galaxy S2 Plus - in an attempt to offer more variety to its consumers as well as bolster its lineup against Apple.

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The two phones have not been confirmed by Samsung, however, the company will be officially revealing the Galaxy Note 2 in a couple days on August 29 with sales likely to begin in mid-September.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini is exactly what it sounds like - a smaller version of the popular Galaxy S3 smartphone. Instead of a 4.8-inch screen, the Galaxy S3 Mini should have a 4-inch screen. This screen size should appeal to users who find the Galaxy S3 a tad too big, and allow the Galaxy S3 Mini to go head-to-head against the iPhone 5's 4-inch screen.

Rumors circulating about the Galaxy S3 Mini state that it will be come with a five-megapixel camera and a dual-core processor. It should be priced at around $200 - the same price as the normal Galaxy S3.

The Galaxy S2 Plus will simply be a more powerful version of the older Samsung Galaxy S2 which was released back in early 2011. There are no details on what these more powerful specs may be, but the price range has been estimated to run between $250 and $350.

Both these phones are expected to release in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to website SamMobile.

The decision by Samsung to release slightly modified versions of well-known phones most likely points to one thing: Samsung simply wants to beat out Apple by having more of a presence with more familiar phones.

Apple is limited to only one handset, the iPhone, and one tablet, the iPad (the iPad Mini will add some depth to Apple's lineup later this year). Samsung, meanwhile, enjoys success across a variety of models, with the Galaxy S3 smartphone, the Galaxy Note phablet, and tablets like the Galaxy Note 10.1.

While none of these products garner as much attention and customer loyalty as Apple products, Samsung is counting on the fact that consumers are slowly realizing that Samsung products are just as solid as Apple's. With a larger lineup for picky customers, Samsung is hoping that their product variety will help offset Apple's sheer brand recognition.

Are you excited for the prospect of a Galaxy S3 Mini or Galaxy S2 Plus smartphone? Or would you rather Samsung focused its efforts on developing new, different phones?