Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 has been doing pretty well since the company unveiled it back in May, and has earned widespread praise from reviewers and owners alike. But not everyone wants - or can afford - a device in the Pro 3's size and price range; some buyers just want something a bit more manageable, both for their hands and their wallets.
The Surface 2 addresses those needs, but the Windows RT tablet is now over a year old, and ready to be replaced with a more up to date model. According to TK Tech News, that replacement is on the way and, more surprisingly, it's said that the Surface mini will be along for the ride too.
TK points to multiple sources claiming that both the Surface 3 and mini will launch "before [the] holidays", adding that there will be "limited supply" of the smaller tablet.
Earlier this summer, our own sources indicated that Microsoft was working on a Surface 3 tablet with plans to launch it this month, and information reported via separate sources in July appeared to confirm this. The Surface 3 is expected to be slimmer and lighter than the model it replaces, featuring the new multi-stage kickstand from its bigger brother, and also including support for the Surface Pen for the first time.
We understand that the Surface 3 is still being readied for launch, and TK's sources pointing to the same information suggests that nothing has changed on that front. An October announcement would give Microsoft enough time to roll out the device in key markets ahead of the all-important holiday sales season.
However, we have no information to corroborate the claim that Microsoft plans to put its Surface mini on sale this year. In fact, our sources have most recently indicated that the mini remains indefinitely suspended, and is unlikely to ever go on sale in its current form. Hardware limitations - including poor battery life - along with the continued absence of a 'touch-first' version of Office, were said to be among the reasons that Microsoft killed the device.
So take this latest report with several pinches/fistfuls of salt; while we're pretty confident that the Surface 3 will soon take a bow in the spotlights of a Microsoft launch event, it seems unlikely that the Surface mini will step out of the shadows any time soon.
Source: @TKTechNews
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