Microsoft May Release Its iPad Mini Competitor This Summer

Microsoft may release a smaller version of its Surface tablet as early as this summer, according to Twitter account @evleaks, which has a strong track record when it comes to revealing information about unreleased mobile products.

The purported Surface Mini is said to be back in production after initial rumors suggested it would launch in May or June.

Rather than releasing a Surface Mini as expected, Microsoft unveiled an even larger 12-inch Surface Pro 3 tablet at its most recent press event in May.

Microsoft's plans are unclear at this time, but a previous report from Taiwanese tech publication Digitimes said that the company halted the Surface Mini project because it didn't think it would sell well.

But that doesn't mean Microsoft has completely abandoned the idea of releasing a smaller version of its Surface tablet.

At the end of May, Rhoda Alexander, who directs IHS Technology's monitor and tablet research, told CNET that the research firm noticed "activity" in the display supply chain from Microsoft on the "smaller" Surface product.

Alexander also noted that these displays measured 7.5 inches, which would line up with previous rumors that circulated before Microsoft's Surface event in May.

Another hint: Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 manual had reference to the Surface Mini, which was clearly an accident. It seems like Microsoft originally intended to launch both devices at the same time, but scrapped the plans at the last minute.

Until this point the Surface has been promoted as a tablet that can truly replace your laptop, but it still hasn't caught on with consumers the way Microsoft has hoped.

Windows tablets in general are still struggling to capture market share from their iOS and Android competitors, as recent data from the IDC shows.

In 2013, Windows tablets only accounted for 3.5% of the worldwide tablet market, while iPads landed at 33.9% and Android tablets captured 62.3%. Windows tablets are only expected to comprise 5.3% of the market in 2014, while iOS is expected to sit at 30.3% and Android is predicted to account for 64.4% of the tablet market.