Rumor: Nokia to reveal 10-inch Windows RT tablet at MWC
updated 07:03 am EST, Wed December 19, 2012
Project delayed by Microsoft Surface release
Another rumor relating to previous potential Nokia device reports has surfaced, claiming the troubled phone maker will be unveiling a 10-inch tablet in early 2013. It is also suggested that Nokia stayed away from unveiling their own Windows RT-based tablet this year because of Microsoft's own efforts with its Surface.
According to Taiwan-based parts suppliers speaking to DigiTimes, Nokia was originally planning to develop a Snapdragon S4-powered 10-inch Windows RT tablet in the first quarter of 2012, with an initial 200,000-unit shipment to test the tablet market. A combination of the release of the Microsoft Surface, and the need for the Windows 8 and Windows RT tablet market to prove itself to be viable, effectively put the project on hold. The new details echo previous rumors but with a change of date. As before, Nokia is working with Microsoft, Qualcomm, and Compal Electronics to build the tablet, and will likely show off the tablet at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain in late February.
Design patents for a tablet dating back to 2011 show that the company has been working on a tablet's design for a few years now. Considering the amount of tablets currently on the market, Nokia may need to add something unusual to the device to be noticeable among the iOS and Android-based offerings if it is to have a chance of succeeding.
