Microsoft is gearing up to host a Surface event in New York City in a couple of weeks and the general consensus is that we'll finally be getting a look at the Surface Mini. What's inside this new, smaller version of the Surface tablet remains to be seen. Past rumors have talked about an ARM-based SoC, but nothing beyond that. According to the latest scuttlebutt, there could actually be two.
Sources familiar with Microsoft's plans talked to Bloomberg this week and revealed that Microsoft will unveil a Qualcomm-powered Surface as opposed to sticking with Nvidia (whose Tegra 4 powered the Windows RT-based Surface 2). Additional versions of the device being unveiled at the same event will apparently run on Intel chips.
The event itself is scheduled for May 20, so we have nearly two weeks of rumors before Microsoft puts us out of our misery. Other talk of the device has indicated a 7.5- or 8-inch display with a 1400 x 1050 resolution, Windows RT 8.1, and an integrated Wacom digitizer for stylus input.
The current generation Surface 2 (successor to the original Surface RT) is based on Tegra 4. With Nvidia's Tegra K1 not yet on the market, it could simply be a case of timing for Microsoft. Though Tegra K1 is expected around Q2, there's only two devices lined up to use K1, and one of those is Nvidia's own Jetson TK1 development board. We'll be sure to quiz Microsoft on the reasoning later this month. For now, no one is talking.
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