It is not going to be released, but Microsoft did indeed work on a Surface Mini. Panos Panay, the leader of the Surface team, told Wired that he himself used a 7-inch Surface Mini for sending emails and taking notes. Reports of a Surface Mini release had come out prior to the Surface 3 launch, but the tablet never appeared in public.

Microsoft provided some credence to reports about the Surface Mini last year when it said it had made the "decision to not ship a new form factor." However, this is the first time the company has clearly stated a Surface Mini did exist.