14 DAY TRIAL // Steve Ballmer has already announced plans for multiple devices bearing Microsoft’s logo in the next few years, so the recently-rumored Xbox Surface gaming tablet would pretty much make sense.
But it seems that Microsoft has more ambitious plans for its very own slice of the hardware industry.
According to a new tweet of MS_Nerd, Microsoft is currently working on a way to scale up the Windows Phone 8 display, but also to scale down the Windows RT devices’ screens.
“ZTE Blade 8: WP8 counts 3 pixels as 2. MSFT adding stylus support in OneNote, IE & Reader. Figuring out how to reach 7″ size with WP or RT. Another project with select members of Surface & Nook teams, using RT on a 8.4″ screen exploring it from the other side, no stylus yet,” the tweet reads.
This basically means that Microsoft is now preparing a bigger Windows Phone 8 that would boast a screen of up to 7 inches, close to the one of mini tablets.
On the other hand, a mini Surface is apparently in the works too, as more and more sources familiar with the matter are pointing out that Microsoft is looking into ways to expand the Surface family with a smaller tablet.
If this rumor proves to be true, the upcoming Surface mini won’t come with a 7-inch display, but instead it will adopt a larger one measuring 8.4 inches. That could also fit the Xbox Surface gaming tablet, a separate device especially aimed at those who want to play games on the go.
Although this isn’t confirmed, we’re pretty sure that Microsoft will install WP8 on any phone it will release, while Windows RT will remain exclusively available on the tablets. Mixing the two businesses isn’t quite a good idea and Microsoft surely knows it.