Surface Mini breaks cover for first time
On April 11 2013, I was all excited by the prospect of Microsoft launching a smaller version of its Surface tablet. In May it was still looking likely. In September the same year, it still looked probable and 3G or 4G could be baked in. But, in May 2014, the news was that it was pulled due it being a bit ‘meh’.
It’s with much interest to me then, that pics of the smaller Microsoft tablet are doing the rounds once more.
This latest batch of sneaky snaps have been published by Windows Central.
These show-all images gets you up close and personal with this mythical device. Ports and all.
Design
It appears that the Surface Mini was designed to ape the Surface Pro 3, albeit with the home button in portrait orientation.
The device would have been bundled with a kickstand. I quite like its angled edges and chunky bezel. I guess this would be classed as retro now.
Connectivity
The ports that can be seen in the images include a microSD card slot for extra storage, headphone jack, Micro-USB port for charging, and USB-OTG.
The Surface Mini was rumored to run on the limited Windows RT operating system. This was loaded on the Surface 2. The OS was later killed off by Microsoft in 2015.
Surface Mini announcement
When the Surface Mini was announced in 2014, after Amazon giving away its release date, it was put forward as an idea note taker. This seems to line-up with what we can see here.
Right down to the Mini packing support for the same pen as the larger Surface Pro 3. Hence the pen holder near the kickstand.
The 8-inch tablet also included a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with 1GB RAM, an Adreno 330, and a screen resolution of 1440 x 1080.
Shelved Surface
Microsoft reportedly shelved the Mini as it didn’t offer enough variation on the smaller devices that were available at the time. Even though I was disappointed, the big M could well have been right. Sales for similar devices slowed down shortly after.
Chances of a smaller Surface may never be likely. At least I get some closure now.
Although, there is the faintest of glimmers with Windows 10 coming to ARM later this year. Would you rock an 8-inch Surface with pen integration?
I think I might.
