Microsoft is reportedly planning a smaller version of its Surface tablet to compete with the iPad mini and other small slates.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the new 7” Microsoft tablet is destined for the production lines later this year, giving buyers yet another option when it comes to compact, travel-size tech.
7” tablets have been all the rage in the past year. Small tablets sold phenomenally well last winter; devices like the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 topped many of our Christmas lists, and the iPad mini was initially difficult to get hold of as Apple struggled to meet festive demand. Now it looks like Microsoft is looking to capture a slice of the lucrative mini-tablet market, reducing the price of its hardware to suit consumers who want a tablet for leisure and play.
At the beginning of 2013, research company IDC recommended that Microsoft revised its outlook to ensure its tablets were cheaper. A 7” tablet could be part of that plan. Microsoft will also probably revise and update its flagship 10.6” Surface at the same time to try to boost sales.
Rumours are still circulating about a Microsoft smartphone, but we haven’t picked up any developments lately. Such a device would be a positive step for fans of Windows, yet it could leave Nokia – manufacturers of Lumia devices – rather less enthusiastic. The device does exist in a prototype stage, but it’s not clear whether it’ll ever be manufactured for the mass market.
The more tablets and phones Microsoft sells, the more copies of Windows and Office it will sell, and that will help to keep it in business amid intense competition from Samsung and Apple. So far, consumer response to Windows 8 hasn’t been great, and Microsoft can no longer rely on desktop PC sales to prop up the rest of its business.