Surface Mini Coming? Surface Mini Release Date Rumors Point To Delayed Pre-Holiday Launch

October is traditionally a busy month for device launches, and Microsoft's Surface line of tablets is no exception to that rule. With the release of the Surface Pro 3 back in June, some are wondering if the Surface 3 will even see the light of day. But the 12-inch display on the Surface Pro 3 seems to indicate a different direction for that "Pro" title, and the confirmed cancellation of the Surface Mini may mean that Microsoft is looking to further differenciate screen sizes for different product lines; the Pro line is getting larger while the regular Surface line may be getting smaller.

It was widely believed that Microsoft was working on a Surface Mini that ran Windows RT 8.1 and included pen support like the Surface Pro models. The tablet was supposed to be billed as the "best note-taking tablet on the market." The Surface Mini was expected to be announced alongside Microsoft's latest 12-inch Surface Pro 3. The company ultimately killed off the mini tablet just prior to its May 2014 announcement.

A new report claims that Microsoft is hard at work on a new Surface tablet that is expected to run Windows RT 8.1 and include the Surface Mini's rumored Surface Pen support built-in.

The publication also claims the updated Surface tablet will feature a 10.6-inch display and a case that's thinner and lighter than the Surface Pro 3. The tablet will enter mass production in September and will be targeted for an October release.

Of course, that would still be on track for a pre-holiday release, as sources close to TK Tech News have confirmed in a recent tweet that also mentions the revival of the Surface Mini in limited supply.