Microsoft has essentially admitted to cutting the much-rumoured Microsoft Surface Mini during the last quarter.
Back on May 20, Microsoft held a special event to launch its new Surface Pro 3 tablet. It was also expected to launch its first compact tablet, the Surface Mini. Indeed, the invitation for the event made mention of “a small gathering,” which many read as confirmation of the Mini’s imminent unveiling.
However, come the day there was no sign of the alleged 8-inch tablet.
Reports immediately after the show suggested that Microsoft had taken the decision to axe the Surface Mini at the 11th hour. That rumour appears to have been at least partially confirmed by Microsoft itself.
Hidden away in its latest earnings report, in the Computer and Gaming Hardware section, sits this telling line: “Current year cost of revenue included Surface inventory adjustments resulting from our transition to newer generation devices and a decision to not ship a new form factor.”
In simpler terms, Microsoft made a fairly recent decision not to ship a new size of Surface tablet. Which is exactly what those rumours suggested.
The original report came from Bloomberg, which stated that Microsoft’s new management team of Satya Nadella and Stephen Elop had made the decision to axe the Microsoft Surface Mini at the last minute. It was felt that “the product in development wasn’t different enough from rivals and probably wouldn’t be a hit.”
It’s likely that we will see a smaller Surface form factor at some point in the future, given the numerous proclamations from Microsoft executives to that effect. But there’s a good chance it won’t resemble the example that so nearly saw release back in May.
Read More: Microsoft Surface Pro 3 vs MacBook Air
Via: TechRadar
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
