Rumor argues Nokia working on iPad rival
updated 02:50 pm EDT, Tue April 6, 2010
Analyst claims Nokia tablet may show this fall
Nokia is developing a new tablet that would compete with the iPad, Rodman Renshaw analyst Ashok Kumar claimed in a currently questionable note. He didn't describe the form factor but said the Finnish phone maker was hoping to have a tablet on the market as early as the fall. His only confidence was that any entry was unlikely to compete with Apple or other major rivals.
"I'm not holding my breath on this one," he said.
Kumar has a mixed track record with advance leaks, accurately calling low Palm Pre production but only some of the facts right on the Google-branded phone, which was actually made by a third-party and eventually became the Nexus One.
Also, Nokia is no stranger to tablets, having produced the N700 and N800 series in the past several years, but has shied away from them in recent months. The N900 reverted to a traditional smartphone form factor, and the Booklet 3G netbook has so far had little traction compared to cheaper and often similarly performing rivals.
Plans for a tablet may be incidentally supported by Nokia's alliance with Intel for MeeGo, a hybrid of Maemo and Moblin Linux. It should have a touchscreen-friendly interface and should work with both ARM and Intel processors, giving Nokia the option of trading x86 compatibility for battery life.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Sep 2009
It will probably kill the iPad.
Let's face it, Nokia was first with the tablets that are pocketable, and will beat apple at their own game. I own an N800 and I find it to be better than the iPhone forms. So long as Nokia remains price competitive and keeps the quality found in their tablets, the iPad is in serious danger. Obviously, Nokia will take cues from the iPad/iPhone (hopefully using a better interface).