No Xbox Mini: Microsoft quashes rumours of a more compact One

Un-reality

The speculation began in relation to a Microsoft event scheduled for October 19, over which the rumour mill has been churning and whirring.

Sadly for fans of two year-old One, Phil Spencer (no, not that one – this is the man in charge of all things Xbox) crushed dreams of a dinkier device in an emphatic two word Tweet: “Not real."

Details as to what the American computer giant might actually be releasing remain sparse – and given the number of pots in which Microsoft has its fingers, anything from smartphones and tablets to watches and wearables could be unveiled come the tenth month.

Lumias ready to surface?

Recent rumours point towards a likely lifting of the covers on two new flagship Lumia devices which, given the manufacturer’s mixed mobile performance (at best) since acquiring Nokia’s smartphone arm, will need to offer something pretty unique given the raft of recent handset reveals (from Apple, Samsung and the IFA crowd).

With the attention-grabbing Surface Hub wall tablet delayed until 2016, the attention may instead be directed towards a new Surface device – and it could be a whopper.

Rumours reckon an updated Surface tablet might be carrying a 12in display to rival that of the heavily-suggested 12.9in iPad Pro.

No sibling rivalry

What’s more, all of the new devices will likely be carrying Windows 10, which needs to make a big impression following the mixed-reception to previous Microsoft mobile iterations – not least given the imminent release of both iOS9 and Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

For now, all we know for sure is that the Bill Gates’ brand won’t be delivering a little brother to our second-favourite console.