On Thursday, we reported that Microsoft is likely to introduce a Surface Pro 2 later this year, alongside a brand new 7-inch Surface "Mini" to compete with Apple's iPad mini and Samsung's Galaxy Note 8.0. But could the new tablet also be introduced under the Xbox brand?

Back in November 2012, there was a rumor making its way around the Internet that Microsoft was working on a 7-inch tablet under the "Xbox Surface" brand, and that it would primarily focus on gaming.

The idea was originally floated by The Verge, who cited "multiple people familiar" with Microsoft's plans. The latest Surface Mini rumors don't focus on gaming at all, but The Verge seemed to reiterate that Microsoft's Xbox Surface plans were still under consideration on Thursday. Could the new 7-inch tablet actually be the Xbox Surface?

At this point, it seems unlikely that the device would come out under the Xbox brand, but it's possible that the Surface Mini, as well as future Surface Pro and RT products, could feature some sort of connectivity between themselves and the Xbox 720 that Microsoft is working on. If the Xbox 720 does run Windows 8 as speculation suggests, then chances are good that the devices would be able to interact with each other in some way. Perhaps you'd be able to stream videos and movies from the Xbox onto the Surface in another room. Microsoft could potentially use it for gaming, or as a second screen of sorts, too.

This is all speculation (Microsoft could have easily dropped Xbox tablet plans), but with most companies trying to unify their services across all devices, it would probably be more surprising if connectivity didn't happen. According to the WSJ's original report, Microsoft's 7-inch tablet plans are mostly an attempt to make inroads against Apple and Google; but it will be interesting to see how they figure into the company's overall vision for Windows and Xbox going forward.