14 DAY TRIAL // The Surface Mini was one of Microsoft’s exciting products that never came to be although at first glance it looked like a very interesting device that many people would have bought in a second.
And even though the Surface Mini didn’t get the chance to see daylight, the project was real, and these replacement screens come to confirm it.
Currently available on eBay, the Surface Mini displays are available for just $30, but it’s hard to believe that they’d ever find a buyer given the fact that the device itself never launched. There are 6 available right now, according to the listing, and 2 of them have already been sold.
The Surface Mini
As for the device itself, little is known about it, but it’s believed that Microsoft wanted it to launch as a tablet for taking notes, thus trying to replace the traditional notebook with a modern version that’s capable of performing a wider array of tasks.
Although it was believed it would have launched with an 8-inch screen, these eBay listings actually point to a 7.5-inch display, but nevertheless, the purpose was pretty much the same: make it super easy to take notes wherever you are.
The Surface Mini was designed to make the Surface Pen an essential accessory and Panos Panay, the man who always believed in Surface, admitted earlier this year that this smaller tablet was actually real. He “used and loved” the Surface Mini, he explained, adding that “it was awesome.”
No reason for why it never got to launch was provided, but it’s believed that CEO Satya Nadella himself pulled the plug on the Surface Mini at the very last minute before the public unveiling. Several units were still produced, though, and this is why these replacement screens might be listed for sale, but we’re still yet to see the tablet in real life.
Hopefully, Microsoft would reconsider its decision and come up with a smaller Surface at some point because the idea behind the Surface Mini was brilliant and it actually enjoyed positive feedback even with so little known about it.