Fear of the iPhone 6 caused Microsoft to ditch production of Surface Mini

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Many users were surprised when the expected Surface Mini tablet didn’t arrive alongside the Surface Pro 3 back in May. A new report, however, sheds a bit of light on the issue.

According to upstream supply chain sources who spoke with DigiTimes, Microsoft ditched plans for a small-size tablet due to fierce competition in the marketplace, along with negative responses from brand vendor clients.

With nothing standout about the Surface Mini’s tech spec (it was reportedly set to sport a 7.5- to 8-inch display, ARM processors, and OneNote and Windows RT 8.1 operating system) Microsoft feared the device’s success would be severely hampered by the arrival of the upcoming 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6, which is expected to have a major impact on the demand for 7-inch tablets.

Microsoft had allegedly finished developing the Surface Mini, had completed tests, and paid for the module development and production equipment, prior to scrapping the project — or at least placing it on the back burner.

The company accidentally leaked news of the Surface Mini in its official Surface Pro 3 user manual that was published online recently, and then pulled it.

“You’ll pair your new pen with Surface Mini a little later during setup,” reads the Microsoft user manual, referring to the Surface Pen setup.

Better luck next time, Microsoft!

Source: DigiTimes

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