14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft was expected to launch the Surface Mini, its first 8-inch tablet in history, during a press event in New York on May 20, but instead, the company only presented the Surface Pro 3, a brand new device that boasts a 12-inch screen and comes with state-of-the-art hardware.
Leaving the Surface Pro 3 aside, which is undoubtedly a pretty awesome device, the Surface Mini was a really highly-anticipated device, especially because people familiar with the matter indicated that Microsoft could market it as a note-taking unit also delivered with a digital pen.
While we got to meet the pen during the press event in New York, the Surface Mini was nowhere to be seen due to what seemed to be a change of heart at the helm of the company.
The new CEO, Satya Nadella, and Stephen Elop, former Nokia boss and the one in charge with Microsoft's devices, apparently looked at the new Surface Mini and decided that it shouldn't be launched because it looks too much like the other small tablets on the market.
While we can't express our opinion on this since we never got to play with the Surface Mini, a report published by Neowin says that Microsoft already manufactured approximately 20,000 tablets before canceling the project.
This means that somewhere, in a warehouse, 20,000 Surface Minis are waiting for a chance to make a name for themselves, although it's not clear whether the company really has plans to launch such a project or not.
People familiar with Microsoft's plans said that a smaller Surface is coming, but no release date has been provided until now. One thing is for sure though: the Surface Mini really needs to be a much more powerful device than the existing small tablets on the market in order to get the green light from the ones now at the helm of the company.
Microsoft is working to expand the tablet product family, so a smaller unit pretty much makes sense, especially because it now has both the standard and the larger Surface on the market. It remains to be seen however if Microsoft has the guts to step into this side of the market, especially because demand for smaller tablets is said to have been declining in the last few months.
Microsoft hasn't talked too much about its smaller Surface, so take this information with a pinch of salt, as the company does a very good job when it comes to hiding precious details from our eyes and ears.