14 DAY TRIAL // Although nobody knows for sure if Microsoft is really thinking about a smaller tablet or not, reports on what could be called the Surface Mini keep coming, with a new source now saying that it might after all be launched in early 2015.
A post by @evleaks yesterday said that the Surface Mini is already in production right now and Microsoft could launch it sometime this summer, in an attempt to expand its tablet lineup and tackle the small tablet business with its very own model.
Now Microsoft watcher Mary Jo Foley says that this is very unlikely given the fact that the Surface Mini was reportedly delayed because the tablet didn’t bring anything new to the market and only little has changed since May when CEO Satya Nadella and Microsoft Devices boss Stephen Elop made this decision.
Basically, it all comes down to the Office Gemini set of apps that’s expected to bring the famous Office productivity suite right in the Modern UI of Windows 8.
Microsoft is working to release touch-optimized versions of Office that would allow users to create and edit documents without leaving the Modern UI of Windows 8 and thus giving tablet owners the possibility to work with documents without the need for a desktop or a mouse and keyboard.
Foley says that work on Office Gemini continues and while the company is very focused on bringing the Android version of Office to the market before the end of the year, the Windows 8 package won’t see daylight sooner than early 2015.
At the same time, it appears that Microsoft hasn’t yet decided on the size of the Surface Mini, with various reports pointing to a 7- or 8-inch display.
However, this contradicts previous speculation on the Surface Mini which claimed that Microsoft had already produced around 20,000 units of the new model and was keeping them away from our eyes before a possible launch sometime this year.
The Surface Mini could be positioned as a note-taking device and together with the digital pen that’s also being offered to Surface Pro 3 buyers, it could clearly represent a powerful replacement for the traditional paper notebook, especially in the education sector which Microsoft tackles so aggressively these days.
Of course, Microsoft is not yet willing to discuss Surface Mini plans, so take these with a pinch of salt until the company breaks news on this device.