The mysterious Surface mini is back in production according to rumor, and could be set for a summer release.
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CNET is reporting a rumor from @evleaks, an insider website and Twitter account that has often been reliable in the past, that the still unofficially confirmed Surface Mini is being produced and nearing launch.
The Surface Mini did not make its expected debut--reportedly pulled at the last minute--at Microsoft's latest Surface event in NYC, which instead focused on the reveal of the Surface Pro 3.
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The mini was unofficially mentioned by Microsoft recently in the Pro 3's manual, which contained several references to the Surface Mini and related instructions. This was clearly unintentional as the product was never unveiled, but gave us a clue as to how close the device was to a public reveal. Microsoft quickly pulled the online Pro 3 manual from its site.
Sources indicated to CNET in May that the product still seemed to be in the works, pointing to continued supplier activity. A high volume of components had been ordered, and analysts find it unlikely that they product would be canceled after such an investment--if this latest rumor is true, it would validate those reports as well.
The question remains why Microsoft would pull the Mini from the event it was supposed to be highlighted at, but there's no clear answer at this time. Citing comments from inside sources, Bloomberg suggested that CEO Satya Nadella and VP Stephen Elop came to believe that the device did not differentiate itself enough from the competition, and thus would not be a financial success.
If this rumor is true and a Surface Mini is on the way, perhaps this time has been used to recreate portions of the device or increase its functionality. We're in the midst of summer now, meaning that we should hear official word about the device soon if this is truly its launch window as reported--check back for news from Microsoft or other sources.
