Report: Surface Mini won't be out until next year

If Microsoft does release the so-called Surface Mini, a new report says that you’ll have to wait a while.

CNET/ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley reports that Microsoft is holding back a smaller version of its Mini tablet until sometime in 2014, after some of the company's other development projects have been completed. That would put the Surface Mini on schedule to be released alongside an LTE-equipped version of the Surface 2, which Microsoft has already publicly committed to.

The reason? Microsoft is designing the smaller tablet around the “Spring 2014 GDR” release of Windows 8.1, which will be released around the same time as the “Windows Blue” update to Windows Phone Blue, Foley reports.

Although Microsoft’s Surface director steadfastly declined to comment on whether or not a smaller Surface is in the works, there’s simply too much evidence, strategically, that says it needs to come from someone—the only question is whether or not Microsoft would choose to release such a “hero” device itself, or cede the higher-volume, lower-margin parts to its hardware partners.

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Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2049385/report-surface-mini-wont-be-out-until-next-year.html#tk.rss_laptopcomputers

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