New report explains why Microsoft ditched plans to launch the Surface Mini

Microsoft’s line of Surface brand tablets have easily been among the most sleek and well-made Windows devices the world has ever seen. What they haven’t been, however, is a hit with consumers or enterprise users. Microsoft continues to improve its Surface lineup each year, having most recently launched the new 12-inch Surface Pro 3 tablet that features what quite possibly the most impressive laptop/tablet hybrid design we have ever seen. The devices are still a tough and expensive sell in a market driven by price, however, and they don’t offer much in the way of truly useful differentiation.

Apparently, Microsoft’s much-rumored Surface Mini tablet didn’t offer much differentiation either, and a new report claims Microsoft cancelled plans to build the smaller tablet at the last minute.

Citing its usual anonymous supply chain sources, Digitimes on Monday reported that Microsoft called off its plan to mass-produce and launch the Surface Mini tablet back in May. According to the report, the decision to cancel the device was made because the tablet lacked differentiation compared to other small tablets, and also because the company received “negative responses” from its various brand vendor partners.

The Surface Mini’s design had reportedly been finalized and testing had been completed before Microsoft decided to cancel plans to build the device at the last minute in May. The report claims Microsoft still paid the costs for module development and production equipment.

Finally, Digitimes notes that the Surface Mini Microsoft had planned to launch featured a display measuring between 7.5 and 8 inches diagonally and an ARM processor, and it was powered by Windows RT 8.1.

The report does not state whether or not Microsoft plans to launch a version of the tablet sometime in the future.