Microsoft has confirmed, seemingly by accident, the existence of its elusive Surface Mini tablet in the new Surface Pro 3 User Guide.
The Microsoft Surface Mini has long been rumored and was expected to debut last month, but the Surface Pro 3 arrived with no smaller version by its side. Microsoft never actually confirmed plans to launch a Surface Mini slate, but the new Surface Pro 3 User Guide includes several references to the smaller tablet.
"If you want to do more than take a quick handwritten note, unlock Surface Mini," reads on mention. "When you do, you'll get the full functionality of OneNote," reads another. "Before you use your Surface Pen for the first time, you'll need to install the AAAA battery. You'll pair your new pen with Surface Mini a little later during setup," Microsoft further reveals in a diagram for the Surface Pen setup. Another reference, meanwhile, mentions the Surface Pen's interaction with "your Surface Mini or Surface Pro 3."
Windows blogger Paul Thurrot was the first one to spot these intriguing references in the Surface Pro 3 User Guide (PDF) in question. Digital note-taking with the new Surface Pen turned out to be a major feature in the Surface Pro 3, but it was also rumored to be one of the strong points of the Surface Mini, which these references confirm. Other Surface Mini references in the User Guide are associated with using Windows 8.1's OneNote app and rotation lock feature.
According to a recent Bloomberg report, Microsoft did originally plan to launch the Surface Mini alongside the new-generation Surface Pro 3, but ultimately changed its mind fearing that the smaller tablet doesn't have what it takes to be a successful product in an increasingly-competitive tablet market. Consequently, the company decided to halt launch plans for the Surface Mini and introduce the Surface Pro 3 alone instead.
It remains unclear at this point, however, whether Microsoft dropped Surface Pro 3 plans temporarily, or it scraped such plans altogether. The first option seems more plausible, as the company could work on improving the Surface Mini and launch it at a later date.
