Prior to Microsoft’s recent tablet-related event there were a lot of rumors floating around about the Surface Mini. Apparently the company was gearing up to launch a smaller tablet as well alongside the new Surface. That didn’t happen. Several reports claimed that the launch plans were axed very close to the actual announcement because CEO Satya Nadella wasn’t happy with the product and wanted to avoid a repeat of the Surface RT. But it doesn’t look like this tablet has been shelved altogether, at least not to analyst Rhoda Alexander at the IHS.
Rumors suggested that the Surface Mini would actually be the star of the show, with its 7.5-inch display and a digital pen. It didn’t get the privilege in the end and it was the Surface Pro 3 which got all the attention.
Alexander says that Microsoft is continuing to work with the supply chain on this tablet. Apparently some 20,000 units had already been manufactured prior to the decision of not unveiling the Surface Mini. She believes there’s a chance it might hit the market later this year.
She spots a surge in orders for 7.5 inch panels from Microsoft. Alexander’s calculations also show that 100,000 of these displays were shipped to Microsoft by supply chain partners. Orders were seen spiking up in the last two months as well so its possible that Microsoft could be building up inventory ahead of a possible launch a few months down the road.
While analyst predictions can often turn out to be true there’s always the possibility that the company involved might change its mind. There’s no comment from Microsoft on the future or even existence of its Surface Mini tablet, so now its merely a game of waiting and watching if it ever announces the 7.5-inch tablet.
