The long-rumored Nokia tablet is back in the news, as a series of potential specifications for the unofficial device have shown up on the Microsoft News blog. There’s no way to verify their authenticity, as they’ve been leaked to the site by an anonymous source, but that doesn’t stop them being intriguing.
What’s particularly interesting is Nokia’s possible choice of operating system, as it’s listed as Windows RT 8.1. Windows RT hasn’t been the biggest success for Microsoft, thanks to confused marketing and higher than expected hardware prices, but the sequel could change its fortunes. However, it comes at a time when other manufacturers are abandoning the platform, making Nokia either look very brave, or like Microsoft’s lapdog.
Moving on, the Nokia tablet may also house the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, running at a possible 2.1GHz, which is just shy of its 2.3GHz maximum. The screen is said to measure 10.1-inches, a touch smaller than the Surface RT, and have a full HD resolution.
The Nokia slate may have a keyboard dock, making it a two-in-one device and similar to those on display during Intel’s keynote presentation at Computex in June. These were being touted as potential game changers in the PC industry, and many are expected to launch by the end of the year. Nokia’s dock could contain an extra battery to keep the tablet operating for longer, and other tablet features include 32GB of storage memory, USB ports, a micro HDMI port, and for it to be sold in a variety of different color schemes.
The report closes by saying Nokia will announce the new tablet in September, and that it’ll be released in the U.S. at a later date with AT&T. Nokia hasn’t officially announced an event for September, but it could use the IFA show in Berlin as the launchpad, where it could join the rumored Lumia 825 smartphone.
Nokia vice presidents have been chatting about tablets for years. Most recently, Nokia’s Jo Harlow said the firm was still very interested in them, but didn’t have any product news to share at the time. Is this all about to change? Nokia has already had a packed year, and could aim to finish it on a high note. If the rumors are correct, we’ll know more next month.
Updated on 08/16/2013 by Andy: Anonymous sources speaking to The Verge say Nokia could hold an event on or around September 26 in New York to launch the tablet, and that it has the codename of Vanquish. Additionally, the image you see above to your right, supposedly shows the tablet complete with Verizon’s logo and a 4G LTE stamp, and was leaked by a Chinese site.
Article originally published on 06/15/2013
