If the most recent market research figures are correct, Microsoft is now a top five tablet manufacturer, ready to battle it out with Amazon and Asus for the number three slot behind Samsung and Apple, the pair currently dominating sales. To do so, it’ll need to keep the momentum going and according to DigiTimes, we’ll be seeing the second stage of its tablet operation during the Build Developer Conference to be held in late June.
DigiTimes, an industry publication which is well-known for spreading both accurate and inaccurate rumors, says the second generation of Surface tablets will be revealed at the event, and could see a switch to a smaller screen size, allowing Microsoft to capitalize on the interest shown in tablets with 7-inch displays. Stop us if you’ve heard this before, as the 7-inch Surface tablet has been discussed for several weeks now, and it’s a strategy recently employed by Apple to seemingly good effect.
The report continues to say that this time around, Microsoft has kept its sales expectations in check, and ordered enough components to fulfill orders of around 1.5 million devices, having previously ordered twice the amount of tablets it actually sold. Should the report prove to be factual, ordering only just enough to cover demand often has the knock-on effect of only just being able to meet incoming orders, and shortages make for good headlines when spun correctly.
Microsoft’s chief financial officer was last to discuss the possibility of a 7-inch, or thereabouts, Surface tablet. He’s quoted as saying the firm is, “Working closely with OEMs on a new suite of small touch devices powered by Windows,” which most took to mean a tablet. However, as nothing specific was mentioned, he could also be referring to a Microsoft-produced Surface Windows Phone, or the rumored smart watch project.
According to DigiTimes, we’ll find out more at Microsoft’s sold out Build conference, which is to be held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco and runs from June 26 until June 28. It’s going to be a busy month, as Build comes just over two weeks after Apple’s WWDC 2013 event.
