14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft was expected to launch a smaller Surface tablet on May 20, but instead of this, the company actually unveiled the 12-inch Surface Pro 3, a device which it says could replace a traditional laptop and offer extended battery life and portability.
People familiar with the matter however revealed that the Surface Mini project was canceled only a few days before the May 20 event, as Satya Nadella, the new CEO of the company, and Stephen Elop, former boss of Nokia and currently the head of the devices unit at Microsoft, decided that it doesn't bring anything different from the small tablets already on the market.
And still, it appears that Microsoft is still working to bring a smaller tablet to the market, according to a new report, as the company is now placing orders to suppliers for 8-inch displays.
The report comes via CNET, which talked with Rhoda Alexander, an IHS Technology analyst, who said that orders for small displays have skyrocketed to nearly 100,000 units in March and April 2014.
While this isn't quite the best indication that Microsoft might indeed bring a Surface Mini to the market, there are some voices saying that the company is waiting for the Office Touch productivity suite to be released and only then unveil the new tablet.
Previous reports indicated that Microsoft has already built nearly 20,000 Surface Mini in anticipation of its May 20 launch, so again, this new report might not be so accurate if the analyst is actually referring to the displays being used for this first batch of tablets.
Redmond hasn't talked about its smaller tablet too much, but company executives hinted with several occasions that it works to expand its tablet lineup with new models, so an 8-inch version would clearly make sense.
The Surface Mini was expected to be marketed as a note-taking device coming with a digital pen similar to the one that's being offered right now by Microsoft to Surface Pro 3 buyers. This way, owners would be allowed to quickly take notes, write down text or draw on their tablets faster than on the standard Surface models that are already up for grabs.
At the same time, word is that Microsoft worked with Qualcomm to installed a Snapdragon processor instead of an Nvidia chip, in an attempt to boost battery life. Windows RT would also be the platform of choice for the Surface Mini if it ever gets the chance to see daylight.