Nokia’s shift to Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform is still a work in progress, so why not shift some resources to an even more improbable success story? Late next month, Nokia plans to unveil its first modern tablet offering, which seems like a disaster in the making. Why? First off, it will run Windows RT, which consumers have shown no interest in thus far. Second, it will feature a design that is strikingly similar to Microsoft’s Surface RT, the billion-dollar flop. As a cherry on top, it will likely be priced starting at around $500. For those still interested in the upcoming Nokia slate, several specs were seemingly revealed in a new report on Monday.
According to unnamed sources speaking with Verge, Nokia’s upcoming Windows RT tablet is code-named “Sirius.” It will apparently feature a 10.1-inch display with full HD 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolution, a 6-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, a Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, a microSD expansion slot and a battery that lasts about 10 hours per charge.
Why is Nokia devoting resources to a Windows RT tablet? Some chatter last week suggested it might be to attract a more substantial investment from Microsoft or even to reignite takeover talks. According to ABI analyst Jeff Orr, neither scenario is likely.
“Calls for Microsoft to further its investment in Nokia — with some even suggesting the Redmond, Washington company should outright purchase Nokia — began after former Microsoftie Stephen Elop took reins as CEO,” Orr wrote on ABI’s blog. “Given the tight relationship between the two companies on Windows Phone smartphones and the apparent prep of a Windows RT tablet, Microsoft would be merely wasting cash to buy Nokia at this point since the firm seems content developing mobile devices using Microsoft’s OS releases.”
Nokia’s new tablet will reportedly be unveiled during a press conference in late September alongside a new Lumia smartphone with a 6-inch display.
