Microsoft was widely expected to launch a Surface Mini at its May 20 Surface event. The company only unveiled a 12-inch Surface Pro and Bloomberg is reporting why Microsoft didn't launch the Surface Mini.
When Microsoft sent out invitations for the May 20 event, it strongly hinted its much-rumored Surface Mini would be unveiled. The invitation read "Join us for a small gathering," and the Internet began buzzing that Microsoft would join Apple and Google in the small-size tablet market--why else would the invite contain the word 'small' for a major announcement about Surface tablets?
We reported back in April that Microsoft was getting ready to announce its highly anticipated Surface Mini and one of the ways the company was going to market the tablet was as the 'best note-taking tablet on the market'. To make this happen the company was rumored to include a stylus with the tablet and new pen-friendly applications to further differentiate it from other tablets. Reports also began to pop up claiming Microsoft would also launch a larger 12-inch Surface Pro 3 alongside the Surface Mini at the event.
When Microsoft held its May 20 Surface event, much to everyone's surprise. the company only announced the 12-inch Surface Pro 3. Bloomberg is now reporting the reason why Microsoft put its small size Surface on hold.
Bloomberg spoke to a source, who did not want to be identified,who stated the reason Microsoft removed the Surface Mini launch was because Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella and Executive VP Stephen Elopn feel the Surface Mini wasn't "different enough from rivals and probably wouldn't be a hit."
Instead, Microsoft released a statement to Bloomberg: "Windows on ARM continues to be an important element of the Windows strategy." Microsoft uses ARM processors in its Surface RT and Surface 2 tablets, which run Windows RT and not the full desktop version of Windows 8.1 like the Surface Pro series.
Microsoft apparently believes it has a better shot at battling Apple and Google by focusing on more powerful tablets that use laptop specs and run the version of Windows most consumers are familiar with, and offer it in a thin tablet that has the power and storage to replace a notebook computer. We'll have to wait and see if Microsoft's 12-inch tablet helps increase the company's paltry 1.3 percent tablet market share.
