Could there be a 7-inch Microsoft Surface tablet on the way?
Earlier today, we saw how
PC sales figures for this quarter tell a woeful tale.
One of the principal reasons for this decline is the rise in acceptance
and usage of tablets as primary computers. But with Microsoft already
preparing for this eventuality with a refresh of the
Surface brand, it was only a matter of time before a smaller Surface tablet came up. The
Wall Street Journal
reports that the Redmond-based company is developing a new line of the
Surface tablets, which includes a smaller 7-inch tablet (Surface mini,
perhaps?). The mini version of the device is expected to go into mass
production later this year, sources clued in to the company’s plans told
the paper.
Microsoft is preparing to give a big push to its Windows Phone 8 and
Windows 8/RT offerings, with new products and software updates lined up
from now till the beginning of the next year. As the company strives to
compete with Android and iOS, it has stepped up its tablet plans and the
next-gen Surface tablets are expected to debut with cutting-edge
hardware and a smattering of software features.
The source revealed Microsoft had not accounted for the potential
popularity of 7-inch tablets and that form factor wasn’t under
consideration last year. Microsoft has apparently realised the need to
compete with its rivals in direct terms, and the 7-inch tablet is seen
as a response to the popular Nexus 7, iPad mini and other low-priced
Android tablets. According to research analysis firm IDC, half of the
tablets shipped in Q4 2012 were smaller than 8 inches, underlining the
popularity of that particular market segment.
This news comes on
the back of a sharp decline in the number of PCs sold in the first
quarter of this year. Sales of PCs fell by 14 percent in the first three
months of 2013 compared to a year earlier, according to Gartner and
IDC. That's the sharpest decline in PC sales in nearly two decades. Even
the introduction of a new Windows version in October hasn't helped
sales of PCs. Gartner and IDC point out Windows 8 could be directly
blamed for the lack of sales as consumers had trouble accepting the
redesigned interface and experience.
In the tablet market,
Windows RT and Windows Phone 8 haven't helped nudge up Microsoft's
negligible share. The fact that Microsoft missed out on the success of
mini tablets means catching up will only be that much harder. Let’s hope
the company brings all the polish and attention to detail of the
original Surface to its younger sibling, whenever it sees the light of
day.
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