Microsoft's plans to launch a smaller Surface mini tablet this past summer were cancelled a few weeks before it was scheduled to launch. Now a new report offers some hands-on impressions of the tablet, including word of a special case that was made for the Surface mini.
Neowin says it got to check out one of these tablets, which would have used Windows RT 8.1, but was not given permission to take any photos or videos of the product. According to their report, the hardware specs for the Surface mini included an 8-inch display, a Qualcomm processor, 1 GB of RAM, and USB and microSD ports. It adds that it would have shipped with the same Surface Pen that's included with the current 12-inch Surface Pro 3, which was confirmed when that tablet's manual mentioned the Surface mini by name.
The rest of the article praises the Surface mini, even though it reportedly has a large bezel. However, perhaps the most unique feature of the tablet was its optional case. Neowin states
"First off, the cases come in several different colors, much like the Type Covers, and includes a built in kickstand. At the end of the stand is the same loop that you can find with the Pro 3 to hold the pen. The front case cover is detachable but it is not a keyboard cover like you get with the Type 3. The space available would be too cramped to include a QWERTY. Instead, the attachable cover protects the front glass but the entire cover makes the tablet feel like a portfolio."
It does sound like the Surface mini would have been a solid product, hardware wise, but Neowin's report does omit some details, such as the speed of its processor, the amount of onboard storage. and its battery life. There's also no word on what the price would have been for the Surface mini. The report gives its own opinion that Microsoft made a mistake in cancelling the tablet. Do you feel the same way?
Source: Neowin
