Microsoft’s pint-sized Surface Mini tablet is nothing more than a rumor at this point, but you can already buy accessories for the tablet on Amazon.
The accessories, discovered by TechCrunch, are both being sold by Vostrostone, a company that offers a variety of cases and covers for other tablets. One of the Surface Mini accessories is a $10 “ultra-thin Smart Cover Case,” and the other is a $33 folio case with a detachable Bluetooth keyboard.
Both accessories claim to be built specifically for the Surface Mini, fitting the tablet precisely and providing full access to all ports and controls. One of the listings says the tablet will have an 8-inch display, but provides no other details on the tablet itself.
A punch of Surface Mini salt
It’s possible that Vostrostone is operating with some inside info, but case makers are widely known to base their initial designs on rumors or speculation, in hopes of getting a jump on the competition.
AmazonIndeed, there are signs that Vostrostone is just making some educated guesses. The folio case, for instance, has four openings around the bezel, allowing for multiple placements of a Start button or front-facing camera. It also has numerous cut-outs along the edges. The cover case seems more confident, with just one camera hole on the back and a case that wraps around the corners of the tablet, but it also leaves wide openings on the top and side edges.
Vostrostone says its accessories will ship on May 18, a time frame previously reported by Mary Jo Foley’s oft-accurate sources, but that could also be a guess. In any case, it’s probably a good idea not to order accessories for a non-existent product.
A previous report by Neowin claimed that the Surface Mini will have an 8-inch display and will focus on note-taking, with support for an active digitizer stylus. The tablet was originally expected to launch last year, supposedly to allow the recent Windows 8.1 Update to be pre-loaded.