Lenovo announced today that it's pulling its smaller Windows tablets from the U.S. market, citing a lack of demand for the mid-sized slates. The company will no longer sell its 8-inch Miix 2 or ThinkPad 8 in America, though it says the larger ThinkPad 10 is still doing pretty well.
If you were hoping to pick up an 8-inch Windows tablet from Lenovo you're out of luck. The company is cutting off shipments for the ThinkPad 8 and redirecting its current devices to developing markets where the smaller slates still sell. A spokesperson told PC World that the ThinkPad 8 is performing well in Brazil, China and Japan, adding that it's "pleased with initial customer demand for the ThinkPad 10" in the U.S.
If smaller Windows tablets aren't selling well in the U.S., it may help explain why Microsoft has been so reluctant to launch its rumored Surface Mini. The company allegedly planned to unveil a mid-sized tablet earlier this year, but shelved the device at the last minute. We're still expecting the Surface Mini to arrive later this fall, but based on Lenovo's latest decision it may not make sense to push a sub-10-inch Windows slate, at least in America.
