Published in AI

Surface mini tablet might appear in Q4

by on26 June 2013

7.5 to 8 inches

Let’s face it, Microsoft hasn’t had much luck with its Surface line of tablets, be it the ARM powered RT or x86 based Pro version.

Its fortunes probably won't change anytime soon, but over the next few months Microsoft is expected to refresh its tablet line-up and we are already hearing the first juicy rumours, i.e. talk of an LTE enabled RT version powered by Qualcomm’s beefy Snapdragon 800.

However, small tablets are doing exceptionally well and this trend has not gone unnoticed at Redmond. Topology analyst Maxwell Chang believes Microsoft will roll out a smaller, cheaper Surface tablet in the fourth quarter of 2013, Focus Taiwan reports.

The so-called Surface mini will be based on an Intel Atom processor and it should cost $299. It is said to feature a 7.5- to 8-inch display, no word on resolution though.

"Microsoft is likely to aim at taking on the iPad mini because it knows it is hard to compete with Android tablets in terms of price," Chang said.

Judging by the CPU, the Surface mini will be a Windows 8.1 affair, since Microsoft has apparently already tapped Qualcomm for next generation Surface RT chips.

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